NDLEA working with US, UK govts over 1,000kg N338bn worth cocaine recovered at Lagos port

By Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said it is working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000kgs of cocaine recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

The PTML operators had noticed the consignment in an empty container last weekend and invited port stakeholders including NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies for joint examination.

The Director, Media and Advocacy,
NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Monday in Abuja said that after field test by NDLEA confirmed the shipment to be cocaine, the consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday 11th November 2025.

According to him, the development followed collaborative engagements between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) and the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi.

“As a result of the large quantity of the recovered Class A drug which is worth over $235m dollars (over N338bn) in international market and the global dimension to the cocaine cartel, Marwa on Tuesday 11th November directed that the agency’s leading international partners be involved in the investigation,” Babafemi said.

In a swift response to the agency’s request, officers of the US-DEA and UK-NCA have already joined the ongoing investigation of the largest single seizure of cocaine at the Tincan Port Lagos.
“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.
“This followed personal excellent engagement between myself and the Customs CG on this case,” Marwa said in his reaction to the seizure and ongoing investigation.