Nigeria Customs Seizes Coca!ne Worth N29.4 Billion at Lagos Port
Published on November 12, 2025 at 5:01 PM by Evance Kapito
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command, has intercepted a cocaine shipment valued at N29.4 billion at the Lagos port.
Joe Anani, Area Controller for PTML, disclosed the seizure to reporters on Tuesday, explaining that the interception followed a report from the terminal operator who discovered suspicious packages in one of 39 empty containers destined for export.
The 20ft container, with serial number GCNU1332851, brought in from Freetown, Sierra Leone, was flagged during a routine disinfection exercise.
“The terminal operator alerted the command immediately, and a joint examination was conducted alongside officers from the NDLEA, Department of State Services (DSS), Police Anti-Bomb Squad, and other agencies,” Anani said.
During inspection, authorities uncovered 50 packages, each containing 20 parcels. Rapid tests confirmed the contents as cocaine, weighing a total of 1,000 kilograms (one tonne) with a duty paid value (DPV) of ₦29,403,738,000 ($20.46 million).
Anani noted that the container did not arrive as an import consignment but was part of a batch of empty containers brought in for export purposes. He described the case as one of the most “mysterious cocaine interceptions” in the Service’s history, emphasizing that no arrests had been made since the container had no registered consignee.
He praised the PTML terminal operator for promptly reporting the anomaly and commended the cooperation between security agencies.
“This seizure underscores the high level of vigilance and collaboration among our officers, terminal operators, and sister security agencies,” Anani said.
The Customs chief reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s ports and ensuring that PTML remains a “no-go area” for prohibited imports and exports.
“On behalf of the Controller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, we will be handing over the seizure to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and necessary action,” he concluded.
