Nigerian influencer arrested over alleged international cocaine trafficking network

Nigerian authorities have arrested a social media personality they say was a senior figure in an international cocaine trafficking operation following the seizure of 184.5kg of the drug in Lagos.

Afolabi Kazeem Micheal, 49, was detained at Lagos's Murtala Mohammed International Airport on 13 August, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). He was about to travel to Paris on a business-class ticket.

The arrest came 10 days after officers intercepted the cocaine at a courier facility in Lagos. The NDLEA said the drugs, valued at almost $28m (£21m), were intended for export to the UK.

Micheal, who uses the name "KC Luxury" online, has around 700,000 Instagram followers. His social media accounts portray him as a businessman involved in gold and luxury products.

But investigators accuse him of having a very different role: allegedly coordinating part of a trafficking route that moved cocaine from South America through Nigeria and on to markets in Europe and Asia.

He has not publicly addressed the accusations and has not been charged in court.

Discovering the shipment

The cocaine was found on 3 August inside brown boxes at a courier company in Lagos, the NDLEA said.

According to the agency, the shipment was connected to a wider international network that had used Nigeria as a route for transporting cocaine to Britain, elsewhere in Europe and to Asia.

Investigators subsequently linked Micheal to the operation and learned that he was planning to leave Nigeria.

NDLEA chairman Buba Marwa said officers intercepted him at the airport before he could board his flight to the French capital.

Officials said they found more than $12,840 in cash on him, made up of euros, British pounds and Nigerian naira. They also reported finding high-value jewellery, which the agency said could be linked to profits from the alleged trafficking operation.

Logistics worker detained

The investigation has also led to the arrest of a second man, 33-year-old Lawal Mujab Kehinde.

The NDLEA alleges that Kehinde worked for a logistics company used to move the cocaine. Investigators say he helped prepare the drugs for shipment and was paid in cash.

Kehinde has not responded publicly to the allegations and has not been charged in court.

Nigerian authorities also say arrests linked to the suspected network have been made in the UK by law enforcement agencies there.

The NDLEA has not released further details about the individuals arrested overseas.

Investigation continues

Marwa said the case highlighted the importance of cooperation between agencies investigating international drug trafficking.

He said Nigerian authorities would continue trying to identify and arrest other people believed to be involved in the operation.

The allegations against Micheal and Kehinde have not been established in court. Both remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.