According to reports by Punch Newspapers, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and European security agencies, have arrested suspected Nigerian billionaire drug baron Amadi Simon in Switzerland over an alleged international drug money laundering operation.
The NDLEA said the coordinated operation also led to the arrest of two alleged accomplices, identified as Jecinta Amara Ikechi in Anambra State and Blessing Ngozi Amadi in Delta State. The agency said investigations linked the suspects to the laundering of hundreds of billions of naira from alleged drug trafficking and financial crimes across several countries.
The agency alleged that the syndicate operated a financial network involving shell companies, cryptocurrency wallets and multiple bank accounts used to conceal proceeds from illicit drug activities. Investigators also traced luxury properties in Asaba, Agbor and Abuja allegedly connected to the network.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa described the arrests as a major breakthrough in the fight against international drug trafficking and financial crimes, adding that collaboration with global law enforcement agencies played a critical role in dismantling the alleged operation.