By Desire Emmanuel
Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in close coordination with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Lagos Country Office, and law enforcement partners from Switzerland, France, and Greece, have dismantled a transnational criminal organisation involved in drug money laundering operations running into hundreds of billions of naira across Europe and Nigeria.
The multi-country investigation into the drug money laundering operations culminated in the arrest of a billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon in Switzerland and his co-conspirators: 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi, in Anambra State, and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi in Agbor, Delta State.
Their arrest followed months of intelligence and investigations across multiple jurisdictions linking Simon to the laundering of hundreds of billions of naira in proceeds of drug and financial crimes.
In addition to their arrest, the NDLEA, also traced multi-billion assets linked to Simon’s transnational criminal network in Nigeria and abroad.
His operations in Nigeria included a complex scheme of front and many companies; pass-throughs and delegates; and the use of numerous traditional and cryptocurrency accounts to conceal and launder illicit funds.
Properties already identified and linked to Simon as proceeds of illicit drug funds included Jovi Hotel at 1 Isiayei Street GRA Phase1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites at 4 Orikeze by Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; as well as Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court Mabushi, Abuja; while several bank accounts and crypto currency addresses used by the cartel to conceal hundreds of billions of illicit funds have also been identified and blocked.
Speaking on the coordinated efforts of the NDLEA, the United States DEA, and other international partners, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Buba Marwa, said the success of the multi-country and multi-year operations has sent a clear message that the NDLEA maintains “a zero-tolerance policy toward, crimes that jeopardise the safety of the Nigerian people.”
