NDLEA cocaine seizure Lagos sparks global investigation as DEA and UK NCA join Nigeria to trace cartel behind $235m shipment

NDLEA cocaine seizure Lagos has prompted a sweeping international investigation after authorities intercepted 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine worth over $235m (about ₦338bn) at the PTML Terminal of the Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

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According to a statement by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the drug consignment was discovered by terminal operators who alerted port stakeholders, including the NDLEA and Nigeria Customs Service. A joint inspection confirmed the shipment contained the Class A substance.

Field tests conducted by NDLEA operatives verified the consignment as pure cocaine, which was subsequently taken into the agency’s custody on Tuesday, 11 November 2025.

Babafemi said the NDLEA was collaborating with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency to identify the cartel responsible for the importation.

“This represents the largest single seizure of cocaine at the Tincan Port,” he stated, adding that the cooperation between the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, led to the swift joint action.

Describing the discovery as “massive and globally significant,” Marwa said international partners were invited due to the scale and suspected transnational nature of the network. Officers of the DEA and NCA have since joined the ongoing probe.

A statement from the NDLEA added that the sheer quantity and street value of the recovered cocaine made the operation “a powerful blow to the global narcotics trade.” The agency noted that the coordinated engagement marks a deepening alliance between Nigeria and its Western counterparts in tackling organised drug crime.

The bust comes just days after NDLEA officers arrested a wanted drug baron, Yussuf Azeez, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.

Marwa revealed that in the past 30 months, the agency has seized 8.5 million kilogrammes of illicit substances, arrested 45,853 suspects, and secured 9,263 convictions — achievements he described as “evidence of Nigeria’s renewed resolve against narcotics.”

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The NDLEA cocaine seizure Lagos operation is now being hailed as a landmark in Nigeria’s war against drug trafficking and a demonstration of growing international trust in the country’s anti-narcotics framework.

Source: Read more at iretura.com