Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, working alongside the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and security agencies from Switzerland, France, and Greece, have dismantled an international drug money laundering network allegedly linked to a Nigerian billionaire.
The operation led to the arrest of alleged drug baron Amadi Simon in Switzerland, while two suspected accomplices — 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi — were apprehended in Anambra and Delta states.
According to the NDLEA, the arrests followed months of coordinated investigations across several countries into alleged laundering of proceeds from drug trafficking and other financial crimes worth hundreds of billions of naira.
The agency said investigators uncovered a sophisticated network involving shell companies, front businesses, cryptocurrency wallets, multiple bank accounts, and proxy operators allegedly used to conceal illicit funds both in Nigeria and overseas.
Authorities also traced and seized several high-value assets allegedly linked to the syndicate, including hotels and luxury apartments in Delta and Abuja.
The identified properties include Jovi Hotel located in GRA Phase 1, Asaba; Jovi Hotel and Suites in Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment in Mabushi, Abuja.
The NDLEA added that several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses allegedly connected to the syndicate have been frozen.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the operation as a strong warning to transnational criminal groups involved in narcotics trafficking and financial crimes.
Marwa praised the support of the US DEA and other international partners, noting that the collaboration helped dismantle the suspected network through intelligence sharing, tactical operations, and financial investigations.
“The NDLEA remains relentless in its pursuit of those involved in narcotics trafficking and associated financial crimes, regardless of where they attempt to hide,” he stated.
He added that the agency would continue strengthening partnerships with global law enforcement bodies to combat drug trafficking and money laundering operations linked to Nigeria.
