The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has dismantled an international cocaine trafficking network allegedly using Nigeria as a transit hub for illicit drugs destined for the UK, Europe and Asia.
According to Punch, the agency arrested Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury, whom it described as the alleged Nigerian arrowhead of the syndicate.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the development while addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday.
The agency said the investigation followed the interception of 184.50kg of cocaine concealed in a consignment being processed through a courier logistics company in Lagos. NDLEA said the seizure was the largest quantity of cocaine it had intercepted through a courier company in Nigeria.
Marwa said the cartel allegedly expected to make as much as N39bn from the consignment through its international distribution network.
The investigation reportedly led to the arrest of two key suspects, including Lawal Mujab Kehinde, a staff member of the logistics company allegedly involved in processing and routing consignments.
The NDLEA said investigations identified KC Luxury as the alleged Nigerian coordinator of the network. According to the agency, he presented himself publicly as a luxury goods dealer and social media influencer while allegedly using the image to conceal drug trafficking activities.
The suspect was arrested on August 13, 2026, at the boarding gate of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after intelligence indicated that he planned to leave Nigeria on a business-class flight to Paris.
NDLEA said he was found with €7,750, £2,800 and N100,000, alongside expensive jewellery.
A subsequent search of his luxury apartment on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, reportedly led to the recovery of exotic vehicles.
The agency also said the cartel allegedly used false identities to conceal consignors and relied on financial facilitators to move billions of naira.
Marwa said some suspected members of the network had also been arrested by authorities in the United Kingdom, describing the arrests in Nigeria and Britain as part of international cooperation against the syndicate.
The NDLEA chairman said the latest investigation showed that traffickers were increasingly turning to courier and logistics companies as scrutiny at seaports and airports intensified.
He warned that individuals allegedly using luxury lifestyles and social media personas to conceal drug trafficking would be pursued by the agency.
