In its sustained offensive against international drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has busted two major cocaine cartels responsible for six separate UK-bound consignments, arresting the kingpin and five accomplices in a series of coordinated operations.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the operations — which spanned over three weeks — uncovered a sophisticated network that concealed cocaine in stainless steel cups, as well as in containers of body cream and hair gel.
Babafemi disclosed that on September 16, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4 kilograms, cleverly hidden in cocoa butter body cream jars.
The interception led to the immediate arrest of a cargo agent, whose confession subsequently exposed 56-year-old Hammed Taofeek Ode, identified as the arrowhead of the syndicate.
After weeks of intelligence gathering, NDLEA operatives, with support from the Nigeria Police, apprehended Ode — a man who had reportedly lived in several European countries for over 27 years before returning to Nigeria in 2024.
“During his preliminary interview, Alhaji Hammed Ode admitted ownership of the drug consignment, which he said he purchased for over ₦150 million. He described himself as a businessman and real estate developer,” the statement noted.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives foiled five other attempts by another cartel to smuggle cocaine to the United Kingdom between September 26 and October 2.
On September 26, officers intercepted 2.1 kilograms of cocaine concealed in hair cream containers at MMIA, leading to the arrest of Smith David Korede, a furniture maker from Mafoluku, Oshodi, where an additional 1.4 kilograms of cocaine were recovered.
Further investigations culminated in the arrest of two more suspects — Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa — after NDLEA intercepted two additional UK-bound drug shipments on October 2.
Babafemi added that simultaneous operations across Kwara, Kaduna, Ogun, Osun, Edo, and Kogi States resulted in the arrest of several other suspects and the seizure of substantial quantities of tramadol and cannabis.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), commended the agency’s officers for their “tenacity, professionalism, and intelligence-led approach” in dismantling drug syndicates across the country.
“We will continue to target and dismantle every identified drug cartel at all levels of their operations — from the couriers to the kingpins,” Marwa assured. “Every arrest, every seizure, and every asset forfeiture represents lives saved and communities protected.”
