Abuja — Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency is working with its U.S. and British counterparts to investigate the origins of a $235 million cocaine shipment seized at Lagos’ Tincan Port, in one of the country’s largest drug hauls.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said in a statement on Tuesday that 1,000 kg of cocaine was discovered in an empty container at a terminal over the weekend. Terminal operators alerted the NDLEA and other port security agencies, which jointly examined the consignment.
The drugs were formally handed over to the NDLEA on Tuesday after tests confirmed the substance was cocaine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) joined the investigation at the invitation of the Nigerian government.
“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,” NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa said.
*Camillus Eboh, editing: Chijioke Ohuocha & Patricia Reaney – Reuters
