ABUJA – 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 transnational drug trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-Australia drug route.
The agreement, signed on Monday, November 2, 2026, at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja, formalises existing cooperation between the two agencies into a strategic partnership aimed at disrupting international drug cartels and curbing the trafficking of illicit substances between both countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the agreement as a “declaration of war against transnational drug cartels that think they can hide between continents.”
Marwa expressed confidence that the partnership would make the Nigeria-Australia drug corridor increasingly difficult and unprofitable for traffickers, given the AFP’s international reach and the NDLEA’s operational capacity.
He said the agreement would focus on four key areas: intelligence and information exchange, joint and coordinated operations, capacity building and professional development, as well as controlled delivery operations.
The NDLEA boss noted that drug trafficking had become increasingly sophisticated and transnational, with Nigerian organised crime groups reportedly strengthening their links with drug networks operating along the Australia-Pacific corridor, particularly in the trafficking of methamphetamine and cocaine.
According to him, Nigeria has increasingly been exploited as a transit and sourcing hub by international drug syndicates, making stronger international collaboration imperative.
“We hope that this MoU will lead to major joint seizures, arrests of high-value targets and successful controlled deliveries. It is a declaration of war against transnational drug cartels that think they can hide between continents,” Marwa stated.
He added that the agency was looking forward to the immediate implementation of the agreement to deliver tangible operational results.
Marwa cited recent drug enforcement successes as evidence of the growing threat posed by international trafficking networks.
These include the seizure of 184.5 kilogrammes of cocaine intended for export and the dismantling of four methamphetamine laboratories in recent months, involving Mexican nationals.
He disclosed that one of the laboratories produced seizures valued at more than $360 million.
The NDLEA chairman also recalled 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), as well as police authorities in France, Greece and Switzerland. Assets linked to the syndicate in Nigeria have also been targeted.
In her remarks, leader of the Australian Federal Police delegation, Ms Sandra Booth, described drug trafficking as a whole-of-society challenge requiring collective action and sustained international cooperation.
She commended the NDLEA for adopting a comprehensive approach to tackling the drug problem, covering prevention, enforcement and international collaboration.
Booth said the NDLEA’s existing partnerships with other countries would strengthen the new agreement, describing the collaboration as a force multiplier in the fight against illicit drug trafficking.
She warned that organised criminal groups were increasingly using drug proceeds to finance other serious crimes through what she described as a “crime-as-a-service” model.
According to her, vulnerable young people are often recruited to deliver and transport illicit drugs, while some are drawn into violent attacks against rival criminal groups.
She said the consequences extended beyond addiction to include broken families, destabilised communities, gang violence and deaths in Australia.
“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,” Booth said.
She explained that Australia was determined to work with Nigeria to prevent illicit drugs from reaching its territory and protect young people and other vulnerable groups from the dangers associated with drug trafficking.
Emphasising the importance of the partnership, she said both agencies must demonstrate commitment, integrity and determination in pursuing international drug syndicates.
“It is 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,” she added.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Leilani Bin-Juda; Deputy High Commissioner, Timothy Milikan; and other members of the AFP delegation, Andrea Humphrys and Susan Gray.
Top management officials of the NDLEA also attended the event.