By Innocent Orok
The Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has busted and Intercepted a shipment of cocaine valued at ₦29.4 billion.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joe Anani, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday, noting that the interception was made after terminal operators discovered suspicious packages inside one of 39 empty containers meant for export.
The 1x20ft container, numbered GCNU1332851, reportedly arrived from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and was flagged on October 7, 2025, during a routine disinfection exercise. The operator immediately alerted customs officials.
A joint examination involving officers of the NDLEA, DSS, Police Anti-Bomb Squad, and other security agencies led to the discovery of 50 packages containing 20 parcels each, all confirmed through rapid testing to be cocaine. The illicit substance weighed a total of 1,000 kilograms (one tonne).
Comptroller Anani described the seizure as one of the most “mysterious cocaine interceptions” in the history of the NCS, noting that no arrest has been made since the container had no consignee or identifiable owner.
He commended the terminal operator for their vigilance and praised the synergy among collaborating security agencies. According to him, the incident further reinforces the commitment of the PTML Command to ensuring that Nigeria’s ports remain secure and free of prohibited cargo.
The seized consignment is expected to be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
