The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a joint investigation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) following the discovery of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine at the PTML Terminal, Tincan Island Port, Lagos.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the massive consignment — valued at over $235 million (₦338 billion) — was found in an empty container by PTML operators, who immediately alerted relevant authorities, including the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
A field test by NDLEA operatives confirmed the substance to be cocaine. The container and its contents were subsequently handed over to the agency for further investigation.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), directed that the agency’s international partners be invited to participate in the probe, given the scale and cross-border nature of the trafficking operation.
“In view of the magnitude of the seizure and the global network likely involved, we have invited the US-DEA and UK-NCA to collaborate on this case,” Marwa stated. “Our goal is to ensure that every link in this cartel is identified and dismantled, no matter where they are across the world.”
He added that the collaboration followed direct engagement between himself and the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi, as part of the coordinated effort to trace and apprehend the masterminds behind the shipment.
The NDLEA described the find as the largest single cocaine seizure ever recorded at the Tincan Port, underscoring the agency’s continued commitment to combating international drug trafficking networks.