NDLEA, Australian police sign pact against drug cartels

Marwa describes agreement as declaration of war on transnational traffickers By Kingsley Omonobi ABUJA — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation against transnational drug trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-Australia route. The agreement, signed at the NDLEA national headquarters in Abuja on Monday, November 2, 2026, formalises existing cooperation between the two agencies into a structured strategic partnership. Speaking at the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman and 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”.

He expressed confidence that the partnership would make the Australia-Nigeria drug route hostile and unprofitable for traffickers, leveraging the AFP’s global reach and the NDLEA’s operational capacity. Under the agreement, the agencies will cooperate in four key areas: information and intelligence sharing, joint and coordinated operations, capacity building and professional development, and controlled delivery. Marwa said the pact came at a time when drug trafficking had become increasingly transnational, organised and sophisticated, with Nigerian organised crime groups allegedly linked to the Australia-Pacific drug route, particularly in the trafficking of methamphetamine and cocaine. “Nigeria is being exploited as a transit and sourcing hub, but no single country can fight this alone,” he said. He expressed hope that the agreement would lead to major joint seizures, arrests of high-value targets and successful controlled deliveries, adding that both agencies looked forward to its…