Key facts
- Nigerian social media influencer Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, "KC Luxury", was arrested at Lagos airport.
- Authorities seized 184.5kg of cocaine, valued at nearly $28m, destined for the UK.
- Micheal is accused of being the Nigerian "arrowhead" of a global drug trafficking network.
- He was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Paris.
- A second suspect, Lawal Mujab Kehinde, a logistics company employee, was also detained.
- International law enforcement agencies have arrested other network members in the UK.
Nigerian authorities have arrested a social media influencer, Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, also known as "KC Luxury", in connection with a major cocaine seizure valued at nearly $28 million destined for the United Kingdom. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) detained Micheal at Lagos's Murtala Mohammed International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Paris.
According to the NDLEA, the 49-year-old influencer, who boasts 700,000 Instagram followers and presents himself as a businessman dealing in gold and luxury goods, is alleged to be the Nigerian "arrowhead" of a cartel involved in trafficking cocaine from South America through Nigeria to Europe and Asia. The agency reported that 184.5kg of cocaine was discovered concealed in brown boxes at a courier facility in Lagos on August 3.
Micheal was apprehended at the boarding gate by NDLEA operatives who acted on intelligence that he intended to flee the country. At the time of his arrest, he was carrying over $12,840 in cash in euros, pounds, and naira, along with expensive jewellery, which officials described as consistent with the proceeds of his alleged illicit trade. A second suspect, 33-year-old Lawal Mujab Kehinde, who allegedly worked for a logistics company used to transport the cocaine, has also been detained.
The NDLEA stated that counterpart law enforcement agencies in the UK have arrested other suspected members of the international trafficking network. NDLEA head General Buba Marwa praised the collaboration between international agencies and vowed to continue pursuing other individuals involved in the network.