The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has broken up an international cocaine trafficking gang using Nigeria as a stop for moving drugs to the UK, Europe, and Asia.
The agency also arrested the leader of the group, Afolabi Michael, known online as "KC Luxury". He was caught trying to leave the country.
Femi Babafemi, the agency spokesman, said the NDLEA chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), shared this news with reporters in Lagos on Tuesday.
Marwa called this operation one of the biggest drug investigations by the agency recently. He noted that they seized 184.50 kg of cocaine, marking the largest cocaine haul made through a courier company in Nigeria.
According to him, the operation started when they intercepted a cocaine shipment hidden for export through a courier service in Lagos. After this seizure, he set up a Special Investigation Team to trace everyone involved in the shipment, from the couriers to the masterminds.
Marwa mentioned that the gang hoped to make as much as N39 billion from the drugs through their distribution network.
"The operation began with the interception of a consignment of 184.50 kilograms of cocaine concealed for onward export through a courier logistics channel in Lagos. Given the scale of the seizure, I immediately directed the constitution of a Special Investigation Team, with a mandate to trace the entire network behind the shipment, from the couriers to the masterminds. The cartel was hoping to realise as much as N39 billion from the consignment through their international distribution network," Marwa said.
By working with the courier company involved, Marwa said NDLEA operatives uncovered a network of companies and people involved in processing the shipment, leading to the arrest of two main suspects, among others.
The first suspect, Lawal Mujab Kehinde, worked at the logistics firm that handled the cocaine. He had a direct and ongoing relationship with the gang's Nigerian coordinator. Investigators found that he packaged and processed shipments for the cartel and sent them to the UK, Europe, and Asia, getting paid in cash.
The second suspect is Afolabi Kazeem Michael, known as "KC Luxury." Investigations identified him as the Nigerian leader of the gang. He posed as a social media influencer and businessman dealing in gold, jewelry, and luxury goods. He used his flashy public image to hide a criminal operation moving cocaine from South America, through Nigeria, to Europe and Asia.
Marwa said Afolabi was arrested at the boarding gate of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on August 13, 2026. Intelligence showed that he planned to escape the country on a business-class flight to Paris.
He was caught with €7,750, £2,800, and N100,000 in cash, along with expensive jewelry. A search of his luxury apartment on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, also led to finding exotic cars, according to the NDLEA chief.
Marwa added that investigations revealed the gang used fake identities to hide the real senders of their shipments. They relied on financial facilitators who moved billions of naira for them.
He also noted that the syndicate had criminal links in the UK, with some members arrested by British authorities for being part of the same cartel.
The NDLEA chief connected this operation to recent successes against international drug gangs, including the dismantling of the Switzerland-based Simon Amadi drug cartel. This cartel allegedly laundered millions of dollars through dark web marketplaces. He also mentioned taking down two Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine groups operating secret labs in Ogun and Oyo states.
Marwa stressed that this operation shows drug traffickers can no longer hide behind luxury lifestyles, forests, ports, or courier companies.
"These operations send a clear message that this Agency’s reach extends into the ports, the forests, the luxury apartments, and the departure lounges. No safe place exists in Nigeria for those who traffic in poison," he said.
He pointed out that drug trafficking groups have shifted from seaports and airports, where checks have increased, to courier services, which they think are less monitored for moving drugs across borders.
Marwa said breaking up the cartel, from intercepting the cocaine to arresting its Nigerian leader, shows the agency's ability to catch traffickers wherever they are.
"There is no alternative route into or out of Nigeria for illicit drugs that this Agency cannot police," he stated.
The NDLEA chief also described the operation as a result of international teamwork. He noted the near-simultaneous arrests of cartel members in Nigeria and the UK.
He praised the agency’s international partners and the Special Investigation Team for their hard work in uncovering the gang.
Marwa warned anyone using luxury brands and glamorous lifestyles to hide drug trafficking that the agency will find them. "To those who think they can hide behind luxury brands, glamorous lifestyles, and social media personas while trafficking poison into our communities, this Agency will find you," he said.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇