As part of an international cooperation effort, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it is working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
The illicit drug was recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.
According to a statement released on Tuesday, November 11, by Mr. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, and emailed to Persecondnews, the PTML operators had noticed the consignment in an empty container last weekend and invited port stakeholders including NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies for joint examination.
The statement reads: “After field test by NDLEA confirmed the shipment to be cocaine, the consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday, November 11.
“The transfer followed collaborative engagements between the NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, and the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi.
“As a result of the large quantity of the recovered Class A drug, which is worth over $235 million (over N338 billion) in the international market, Marwa on Tuesday directed that the agency’s leading international partners be involved in the investigation.
“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.”
Reacting to the seizure and ongoing investigation, the NDLEA boss said: “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.”
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