The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has teamed up with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate the syndicate behind the seizure of 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port, Lagos.
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the shipment was discovered in an empty container over the weekend by PTML operators, who alerted port stakeholders, including the NDLEA and Customs, for a joint inspection. Field tests confirmed the consignment as cocaine, after which it was formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
The Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), directed that the agency’s international partners be involved due to the shipment’s massive size and cross-border implications.
The seized cocaine is valued at over $235 million (N338 billion) on the international market.
Marwa emphasised the importance of international collaboration.
“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, ” he said.
Officers from the US-DEA and UK-NCA have already joined the investigation, marking a decisive step in tackling what NDLEA described as the largest single cocaine seizure at Tincan Port.
