Nigerian drug baron arrested over illicit drug deals in five continents

K. Jeff, a suspected leader of an international drug cartel based in Nigeria has reportedly been arrested in Lagos for smuggling illicit drugs into five continents, including Korea.

According to Korea Times, the Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed the arrest of 59-year-old K. Jeff on February 13, following years of collaboration with Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Along with Jeff, 36 other members of the cartel were also apprehended.

In 2021, authorities reportedly located cartel members in Korea attempting to smuggle drugs from Ghana. These suspects then shared vital information about the cartel with Nigerian authorities, prompting a joint operation to locate its headquarters.

Jeff was said to be running a global drug trafficking network spanning five continents, deceiving individuals, including Koreans, into transporting meth and other stimulant drugs.

He had previously been convicted in Korea in 2007 for his significant role in drug smuggling and sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was deported to Nigeria the following year.

Jeff reportedly expanded his international network to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, where he and his cartel members cultivated, manufactured, and distributed illicit drugs. They allegedly used romance scams to trick individuals into smuggling drugs across borders.