The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has begun a joint investigation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to uncover the cartel responsible for importing 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at over $235 million (₦338 billion).
The massive cocaine shipment was intercepted at the PTML Terminal, Tincan Island Port, Lagos.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, terminal operators discovered the drug-laden consignment inside an empty container and alerted relevant authorities, including the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service, prompting a joint inspection.
Babafemi explained that field tests conducted by NDLEA officers confirmed the substance as cocaine, after which it was placed under the agency’s custody on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
He said “The NDLEA is working closely with the US DEA and UK NCA to identify and dismantle the cartel behind the 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.
The PTML operators discovered the consignment in an empty container over the weekend and invited port stakeholders, including the NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies, for a joint inspection.
After the NDLEA confirmed the substance to be cocaine, it was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation.”
The NDLEA noted that the seizure, worth more than ₦338 billion, represents the largest single cocaine interception ever recorded at the Tincan Port.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), emphasized that international partners were invited because of the magnitude of the discovery and the suspected global reach of the drug syndicate.
The statement added “Given the large quantity and international implications of the seizure, Brig. Gen. Marwa directed that the agency’s leading international partners be involved in the probe. In response, officers from the US DEA and UK NCA have joined the ongoing investigation.”
Meanwhile, the NDLEA also announced the recent arrest of several suspects linked to drug-related offences, including a wanted drug baron, Yussuf Azeez, apprehended at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on Thursday, November 6, 2025, while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
In the last 30 months, the NDLEA has seized 8.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs, arrested over 45,000 suspects, and secured 9,263 convictions, according to Marwa.
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