NIGERIAN authorities have seized 1,000 kilograms of cocaine worth $235 million at Lagos’ Tincan Port, marking what officials say could be the largest drug haul in African history.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced that it has enlisted U.S. and British law enforcement to track down the international syndicate behind the massive shipment, which was discovered hidden in an empty shipping container over the weekend.
Terminal operators at the port first detected the suspicious container and immediately alerted the NDLEA and port security agencies. A joint examination uncovered the drugs, which laboratory tests confirmed as cocaine, before the formal handover to anti-narcotics officials on Tuesday.
The scale of the seizure prompted Nigerian authorities to request assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the UK’s National Crime Agency, signalling the likely involvement of a sophisticated transnational trafficking network.
“The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned… so that ultimately we can get all the masterminds of this huge consignment brought to book, wherever they are located across the globe,” said NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa.
The seizure underscores West Africa’s growing role as a transit hub for South American cocaine destined for European markets, with criminal organisations exploiting the region’s busy ports and porous borders.
Investigators are now racing to trace the shipment’s origin, identify its intended destination, and dismantle the network behind one of the continent’s most significant drug interdictions.
