By Nkechi Eze
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its collaboration with international partners, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA), to uncover the cartel responsible for the importation of a massive 1,000 kilograms of cocaine recovered at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.
In an official statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, the NDLEA disclosed that the illicit substance was discovered last weekend when operators at the PTML Terminal found the consignment inside an empty container and promptly alerted port stakeholders, including NDLEA officials, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies, for a joint examination.
Following a field test conducted by NDLEA operatives, the substance was confirmed to be cocaine. The consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, after collaborative engagements between the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi.
According to the NDLEA, the recovered consignment, weighing over one metric ton, has an estimated street value exceeding $235 million (over ₦338 billion) in the international market, making it one of the largest single seizures of the drug at any Nigerian port.
Given the transnational nature and scale of the operation, General Marwa directed that the agency’s top international partners, the US-DEA and UK-NCA be immediately involved in the ongoing probe. Both agencies have since deployed officers to join NDLEA investigators in unraveling the complex web of networks behind the importation.
“The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned and every gap is sufficiently covered so that ultimately we can get all the masterminds of this huge consignment brought to book wherever they are located across the globe,” Marwa stated, emphasizing that the investigation has assumed a global dimension.
He further praised the Nigeria Customs Service for its proactive role in facilitating the joint examination and ensuring smooth inter-agency cooperation, describing his engagement with the Customs Comptroller-General as “excellent and decisive.”
The seizure underscores NDLEA’s sustained war against drug trafficking and its growing synergy with international enforcement bodies in dismantling major criminal syndicates. The agency reiterated its commitment to ensuring that all individuals and networks linked to the shipment are identified, tracked, and prosecuted, both within and outside Nigeria.
