The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a joint investigation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to uncover the cartel behind the recent seizure of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over N338bn, at the PTML Terminal of the Tincan Island Port in Lagos.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the operation followed the discovery of the drug-laden consignment by terminal operators, who promptly alerted the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service for a joint examination.
He described the discovery as the “largest single seizure of the substance” ever recorded at the port.
According to Babafemi, preliminary field tests conducted by NDLEA officers confirmed that the recovered substance was cocaine, after which the shipment was taken into the agency’s custody on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
“The NDLEA is working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000kg 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 the NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies for a joint examination.
“After a field test by the NDLEA confirmed the shipment to be cocaine, the consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, following collaborative engagements between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.), and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.”
Marwa directed that the agency’s international partners be involved in the probe due to the large quantity of the seized drug and the cross-border nature of the trafficking network.
“As a result of the large quantity of the recovered Class A drug, which is worth over $235m (over N338bn) on the international market, and the global dimension to the cocaine cartel, Marwa on Tuesday, November 11, directed that the agency’s leading international partners be involved in the investigation.”
Babafemi confirmed that foreign investigators had joined the ongoing operation.
“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 statement added.
The latest operation marks another milestone in NDLEA’s sustained crackdown on transnational drug trafficking networks operating through Nigeria’s seaports and border corridors.
In April 2025, the agency destroyed about 1.6 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs seized from Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states—the largest volume ever incinerated in a single exercise in its history.
The public destruction took place at an isolated site in Ipara, Ogun State, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Among the incinerated substances were 123 kilograms of cocaine, 46.8 kilograms of heroin, 1.4 million kilograms of cannabis, 148,000 kilograms of codeine syrup, 3,244.26 kilograms of tramadol, 1,544 kilograms of skuchies, and 111 kilograms of methamphetamine.
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