The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it is collaborating with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to uncover the cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine recently recovered from the PTML Terminal at Tincan Island Port, Lagos.
A statement by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Tuesday, said the large consignment — valued at over $235 million (₦338 billion) on the international market — was discovered last weekend in an empty container by port operators, who immediately alerted relevant security agencies, including the NDLEA and the customs.
Following a joint inspection and field test, the NDLEA confirmed the substance to be cocaine and took custody of the consignment on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, after collaborative engagements between the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Babafemi said that due to the scale of the haul and its international links, Gen. Marwa directed that the agency’s key global partners — the DEA and NCA — be fully involved in the investigation.
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“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,” Marwa said in his reaction to the seizure.
He added that the cooperation between NDLEA and customs reflected the “personal, excellent engagement” between both agencies and their commitment to ensuring that Nigeria does not become a transit hub for drug trafficking.
Officers from the DEA and NCA have reportedly joined NDLEA investigators in Lagos to assist in unmasking the international syndicate responsible for what is believed to be the largest single cocaine seizure ever recorded at the Tincan Port.
