Freetown, 12th November 2025- The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine valued at ₦29.4 billion at the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) in Lagos. The consignment, weighing 1,000 kilograms, was discovered in a 20-foot container that arrived from Freetown, Sierra Leone, without import documentation.
According to Customs Area Controller Joe Anani, the seizure marks the largest and first-ever hard drug interception in PTML’s history. The suspicious container, numbered GCNU1332851, was flagged on October 7, 2025, during routine disinfection of 39 empty containers designated for export. The terminal operator alerted authorities, prompting a joint inspection by Customs, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police Anti-Bomb Squad, and other security agencies.
The inspection revealed 50 packages, each containing 20 parcels of cocaine. Rapid field tests conducted by NDLEA officers confirmed the substance. Preliminary investigations suggest the container was loaded as empty in Sierra Leone and had no listed consignee.
“This is one of the most mysterious cocaine interceptions in our records,” Anani told reporters. “We commend the PTML terminal management for their vigilance. This kind of synergy is critical to securing our ports.”
The NDLEA has since taken custody of the consignment for further investigation. Strategic Commander of the NDLEA Tin Can Port Command, Daniel Onyishi, described the seizure as unprecedented and confirmed that international partners—the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA)—have joined the probe.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) emphasized the importance of international collaboration in tracing the origins of the shipment and dismantling the cartel behind it. “We are determined to bring all masterminds to justice, wherever they are located,” he said.
The story has been widely reported by Nigerian outlets including The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, Vanguard, and Oriental News
