CUSTOMS HANDS OVER N29.4BN COCAINE SEIZED FROM “EMPTY” CONTAINER TO NDLEA AT LAGOS PORT
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ports and Terminal Multiservice Limited (PTML) Command, has handed over cocaine valued at ₦29.4 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), following a historic seizure at the Lagos port.
Addressing journalists during the handover ceremony at the PTML Command on Tuesday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joe Anani, disclosed that the illicit drug was discovered in an empty container that arrived from Sierra Leone.
According to him, the discovery was made on October 7, 2025, when terminal operators, during a disinfection exercise on 39 empty containers meant for export use, noticed suspicious items in a 20-foot container (GCNU1332851) and alerted Customs officials.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the container was loaded as an empty container at the last port of call, which was Freetown, Sierra Leone,” Anani stated.
He said a joint examination was immediately conducted by officers of the NCS, NDLEA, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Police Anti-Bomb Squad, among others.
“A total of 50 packages containing 20 parcels each were found inside the container. Rapid tests confirmed the substances to be cocaine. The total weight was 1,000 kilograms (1 tonne), valued at ₦29.4 billion,” Anani revealed.
He added that no arrest had been made yet, as the container had no consignee, having arrived in the country as part of a batch of empty containers to be used for exports.
“This marks the first-ever illicit drug seizure in PTML’s history and one of the most mysterious cocaine interceptions in the Service’s record,” Anani said. “These illicit drugs did not come into the country as an import consignment but were found in a container meant for export loading.”
The Customs boss praised the PTML Terminal for promptly alerting authorities, stressing that the seizure underscored the importance of inter-agency collaboration between Customs, NDLEA, DSS, the Police, and other security bodies.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to maintaining port integrity and warned that the command remains a no-go area for contraband.“We will continue to uncover prohibited items and ensure Nigeria’s ports are safe and compliant with trade regulations,” he said.
Receiving the seized drugs, the NDLEA’s Strategic Commander, Tincan Port Command, Daniel Onyishi, described the operation as “mysterious” and commended the swift coordination between Customs and NDLEA officers.
“In all our years of security operations, we’ve not encountered such a case. But investigation has begun, and we are determined to uncover the source and the circumstances surrounding how it came into the country,” Onyishi assured.
The PTML Command, one of Nigeria’s frontline Customs formations, continues to play a key role in anti-smuggling enforcement, trade facilitation, and digital customs reforms, reinforcing the nation’s efforts to secure its maritime borders against organized crime.
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