Compt. Joe Anani of the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said the command intercepted a cocaine shipment valued at ₦29.4 billion at PTML Terminal.
Anani, who showcased the illicit drug to newsmen at the command on Tuesday, said the interception followed a report from the PTML terminal operator, who discovered suspicious packages in one of the 39 empty containers meant for export loading.
Brought in from Freetown, Sierra Leone, the 1x20ft container with number GCNU1332851 was flagged during a routine disinfection exercise on October 7, 2025, the customs revealed.
According to Anani, “the terminal operator alerted the command immediately, and a joint examination was conducted alongside officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services, Police Anti-Bomb Squad and other agencies.”
He explained that consequently, 50 packages containing 20 parcels each were uncovered during the inspection, while rapid tests confirmed the contents as cocaine, weighing a total of 1,000 kilograms (one tonne), with a duty paid value of ₦29,403,738,000.
He clarified that the container did not arrive Nigeria as an import consignment but was “part of a batch of empty containers brought in by the terminal operator for export purposes.”
Anani described the incident as one of the most “mysterious cocaine interceptions” in the NCS’ history, highlighting that no arrest had yet been made, since the container had no consignee linked to it.
However, he commended the PTML terminal operator for promptly reporting the anomaly, and also commended the collaboration between security agencies in the operation. He
Stated that the seizure underscored the high level of cooperation and vigilance among the officers, terminal operators and sister-security agencies.
The CAC further reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s ports and ensuring that PTML remains a no-go area for prohibited imports and exports.
