Nigerian anti-narcotics authorities are working closely with their U.S. and British counterparts to dismantle the cartel responsible for importing 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, discovered at a Lagos port. The significant seizure, announced on Tuesday, represents one of the largest in the country's history.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed the illicit consignment, valued at over 338 billion naira ($235 million), was found last weekend within an empty container at the Tincan Port.
Femi Babafemi, a spokesperson for the agency, issued a statement confirming the international collaboration: “In a swift response to the Agency's request, officers of the US-DEA and UK-NCA, have already joined the ongoing investigation of the largest single seizure of cocaine at the Tincan Port Lagos.”
The seizure was formally transferred to the NDLEA on Tuesday after its initial discovery by port operators.
Nigeria is considered a significant regional transit hub of narcotics in West Africa and has also gradually become considered as a key producer, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
“The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned and every gap is sufficiently covered so that ultimately we can get all the masterminds of this huge consignment brought to book wherever they are located across the globe,” Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, the NDLEA chairman, said of the investigation.
