The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint operations against international drug trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-Australia route….
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint operations against international drug trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-Australia route.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the agreement as a declaration of war against transnational drug cartels, warning that traffickers would find it increasingly difficult to operate between the two countries.
Marwa spoke on Monday, November 2, 2026, during the signing ceremony at the NDLEA national headquarters in Abuja.
He said the partnership would combine the AFP’s international reach with the NDLEA’s operational capacity to make the Nigeria-Australia drug trafficking corridor hostile and unprofitable for criminal networks.
“Now, this MoU is renewable and is a declaration of war against transnational drug cartels that think they can hide between continents,” Marwa said.
He expressed confidence that the agreement would lead to major joint drug seizures, arrests of high-value targets and successful controlled delivery operations.
The agreement provides for cooperation in four key areas: intelligence and information exchange, joint and coordinated operations, capacity building and professional development, as well as controlled delivery of illicit drugs to identify and apprehend members of trafficking networks.
Marwa said the agreement was particularly important as Nigerian organised crime groups were increasingly linked to drug trafficking routes connecting Australia and the Pacific region, especially involving methamphetamine and cocaine.
He noted that Nigeria was being exploited as both a transit and sourcing hub, stressing that the increasingly sophisticated nature of international drug trafficking required stronger cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
Citing recent operations, the NDLEA chairman disclosed that the agency had seized 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine intended for export and dismantled four methamphetamine laboratories in recent months, including facilities where Mexican nationals were allegedly embedded.
He said one of the laboratory operations resulted in seizures valued at more than 360 million dollars.
Marwa also highlighted the dismantling of a Switzerland-based drug cartel allegedly linked to a Nigerian, Simon Amadi, following more than a year of collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police authorities in France, Greece and Switzerland.
In her remarks, the head of the Australian Federal Police delegation, Sandra Booth, described drug trafficking as a global problem requiring coordinated international action.
She commended the NDLEA for tackling different aspects of the drug problem, including prevention, enforcement and international partnerships.
Booth warned that organised criminal groups were increasingly using drug trafficking to finance other serious crimes, including violent attacks, gang conflicts and the exploitation of young and vulnerable people.
She said the consequences of the trade extended beyond addiction to the destabilisation of families and communities, adding that Australia was also experiencing increased violence and deaths associated with drug trafficking.
“Whilst Nigeria is a transit country, we are a destination country. And unfortunately for us, people will pay a lot of money for the commodity,” she said.
Booth said Australia was committed to working with Nigeria to prevent illicit drugs from reaching its territory and protect its young people and vulnerable communities.
Emphasising the importance of the new agreement, she added: “It is so absolutely necessary that we work together as a team, that we are forceful, that we are committed, that we show integrity, and we hunt as a pack. And I am very proud that we can now be part of your pack.”
The signing ceremony was attended by the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Leilani Bin-Juda, Deputy High Commissioner Timothy Milikan and other members of the Australian Federal Police delegation, alongside senior NDLEA officials.
