Customs intercepts N29.4 billion cocaine shipment from Sierra Leone at Lagos terminal

International Seizures Nigeria Seizures

Posted by TGANB-Admin on 2025-12-02 07:10:36 |

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On November 12, 2025, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), operating at the PTML Terminal in Lagos, announced interception of a cocaine shipment valued at ₦29.4 billion (≈ US-dollar equivalent) — corresponding to the 1,000 kg consignment seized at the port. According to the NCS, the container, numbered GCNU1332851, had arrived from Sierra Leone as one of 39 “empty” containers imported for export purposes. During a routine disinfection and inspection process, terminal operators flagged the container as suspicious.

A joint examination — involving NCS, NDLEA, security agencies including Department of State Services (DSS) and anti-bomb squads — confirmed 50 packages inside, each with 20 parcels of cocaine. Given the mysterious nature of the container (no consignee, no clear destination), the NCS described the seizure as one of the most enigmatic cocaine busts in its maritime history. 

The discovery exposed a complex smuggling method: traffickers used empty containers — ostensibly for export — to bring illicit drugs via third-party countries (in this case reportedly Sierra Leone), exploiting trade-port logistics, documentation gaps, and oversight weaknesses.

The handover of the shipment to NDLEA and subsequent joint international investigation aim to trace the smuggling network possibly spanning West Africa — underlining how cocaine trafficking via maritime routes remains an evolving, globalized challenge.

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