The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to tackle international drug trafficking networks operating between Nigeria and Australia.
The agreement, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is expected to strengthen intelligence sharing, coordinated investigations and joint operations targeting criminal organisations involved in the movement of cocaine and methamphetamine between both countries.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Monday, November 2, 2026, by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the agreement as an important step towards strengthening international cooperation against transnational drug trafficking.
Marwa said the MoU would provide a formal structure for existing collaboration between both agencies, particularly in tackling criminal networks exploiting the Nigeria–Australia route.
He identified four major areas of cooperation under the agreement: intelligence and information exchange, joint operations, capacity building and professional development, as well as controlled delivery of suspected drug consignments.
According to him, Nigerian organised crime groups have become increasingly involved in drug trafficking activities across the Australia-Pacific corridor, with cocaine and methamphetamine among the major substances being transported.
He warned that international criminal networks were increasingly using Nigeria as a transit and sourcing point for illicit drugs.
Marwa said the agreement would take immediate effect, expressing optimism that it would produce more successful drug seizures, arrests of major trafficking figures and coordinated investigations across international borders.
The NDLEA chairman also highlighted recent operations that exposed the scale of drug trafficking activities involving Nigeria. He disclosed that the agency had intercepted 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine intended for export and dismantled four methamphetamine laboratories in recent months, with Mexican nationals reportedly linked to some of the operations.
One of the laboratory investigations, he said, led to the recovery of illicit substances valued at more than $360 million.
He further referenced the dismantling of a Switzerland-based drug cartel allegedly linked to a Nigerian national, Simon Amadi. The operation followed more than a year of collaboration between the NDLEA, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law enforcement agencies in France, Greece and Switzerland.
The agency has also moved against assets linked to the cartel in Nigeria.
Leading the Australian Federal Police delegation, Sandra Booth said cooperation with Nigeria was essential because Australia remained a major destination market for illicit drugs, where traffickers could generate substantial profits.
She warned that proceeds from drug trafficking were also being channelled into other criminal activities, including violent operations involving vulnerable young people recruited by criminal groups.
Booth said Australia was committed to working with Nigerian authorities to prevent illicit substances from reaching its communities and protect young people from the consequences of drug trafficking.
The signing ceremony was attended by Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Leilani Bin-Juda, Deputy High Commissioner Timothy Milikan, members of the AFP delegation and senior NDLEA officials.
The latest agreement builds on previous NDLEA operations targeting international drug syndicates using Nigeria as a base for trafficking illicit substances to overseas destinations.
In September 2025, the agency dismantled an international trafficking cartel operating across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The investigation followed the interception of 17.9 kilogrammes of cocaine, valued at approximately ₦5.3 billion, concealed in textile materials and local charms and destined for Sydney, Australia. Three suspected leaders of the syndicate were subsequently arrested in Lagos.
Other major operations have exposed methamphetamine production networks operating within Nigeria. In September 2026, the NDLEA dismantled an illegal methamphetamine laboratory in Enugu State and arrested two suspected drug kingpins allegedly working with a Mexican cartel operative.
Similarly, in May 2026, the agency arrested three Mexican nationals and six Nigerians following the dismantling of a methamphetamine production syndicate in Ogun State. The recovered substances were valued at more than ₦480 billion.
The new partnership is expected to strengthen efforts by both countries to disrupt international drug supply chains, identify major trafficking figures and prevent criminal networks from exploiting their territories.
