Keypoints:
- $235m cocaine found at Lagos port
- NDLEA works with US, UK agencies
- Global manhunt for drug masterminds
NIGERIA’S anti-narcotics agency has teamed up with the United States and United Kingdom to trace the origins of a massive $235 million cocaine shipment intercepted at Lagos’ Tincan Island Port — one of the country’s largest-ever drug seizures.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said in a statement on Tuesday that the 1,000-kilogramme consignment was discovered over the weekend inside an empty shipping container during a joint inspection at the port’s terminal.
Terminal operators had raised the alarm after detecting irregularities in the container, prompting the NDLEA and other security units stationed at the port to conduct a detailed search. Tests later confirmed the white substance to be cocaine, and the drugs were formally handed over to the NDLEA for custody and further investigation.
Global agencies join the chase
The NDLEA said it has invited the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to collaborate on uncovering the international network behind the shipment.
‘The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned,’ NDLEA Chairperson Buba Marwa said. ‘Ultimately, we want all the masterminds of this huge consignment brought to book, wherever they are located across the globe.’
A record haul for Nigerian authorities
The seizure, worth an estimated $235 million, marks one of Nigeria’s largest single drug hauls and underscores the growing cooperation between Nigerian and international law enforcement agencies in tackling transnational narcotics trafficking.
Drug smuggling through West African ports has long been a concern for regional governments and Western intelligence agencies, which warn that cartels use the region as a transit hub for cocaine bound for Europe and North America.
According to the NDLEA, the latest operation reinforces its renewed drive to dismantle drug cartels operating within and outside Nigeria. Marwa said intelligence sharing with international partners would be key to tracking the shipment’s origin, identifying its financiers, and disrupting global supply chains.
Lagos port under tighter scrutiny
Authorities at Tincan Island Port have now increased monitoring of containers arriving from high-risk routes. The NDLEA said it is strengthening cooperation with customs, port security, and shipping companies to detect concealed narcotics more effectively.
Marwa praised the vigilance of terminal operators who alerted authorities, calling their action ‘a vital example of the kind of community participation needed to keep Nigeria safe from the scourge of illicit drugs’.
The joint investigation is ongoing, with the NDLEA pledging to provide further updates as the probe unfolds.
