NDLEA Seizes 3.4 Tonnes of Cocaine at Apapa Port — The Largest Drug Bust in the Agency's History

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has seized 3.4 tonnes of cocaine at Apapa Port in Lagos — the largest single drug bust in the agency's 35-year history — after a tip-off led operatives to a container declared as frozen fish from South America.

Eight suspects, including a port official and two freight forwarding agents, are in custody. NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa confirmed the seizure at a press conference on Sunday, describing it as "a devastating blow to one of the most sophisticated drug trafficking networks we have ever encountered."

How the Bust Happened

The operation began three weeks ago when NDLEA's intelligence unit received information from an international partner agency — sources indicate it was the US Drug Enforcement Administration — about a consignment of cocaine that had left a South American port bound for Lagos.

The container, registered to a Lagos-based import company, arrived at Apapa on Thursday. NDLEA operatives, working alongside Nigeria Customs Service officials, allowed it to clear initial processing before moving in on Friday night. The cocaine was found packed in vacuum-sealed bricks inside industrial-grade freezer units, concealed beneath a legitimate consignment of frozen mackerel.

The street value of the seizure, at current Lagos wholesale prices, is estimated at over ₦180 billion — approximately $110 million at the current exchange rate.

"This is not just a Nigerian success story. This is a global law enforcement success story. The network behind this shipment has been moving product through West Africa for years. Today, we have cut off a major artery."

— Buba Marwa, NDLEA Chairman

The Network Behind the Shipment

NDLEA sources tell The Trojan Beast that the consignment is linked to a transnational trafficking network that uses West African ports as transit hubs for cocaine destined for European markets. Nigeria, with its high-volume container port traffic and historically under-resourced customs infrastructure, has long been identified by international drug enforcement agencies as a preferred transit point.

The import company named on the container's documentation was registered in Lagos eighteen months ago. Its directors, according to Corporate Affairs Commission records reviewed by The Trojan Beast, include two individuals who have previously appeared in EFCC investigations — though neither has been convicted of any offence.

The port official in custody is a mid-level Nigeria Customs Service employee who, NDLEA sources say, is suspected of facilitating the container's passage through preliminary inspection without triggering a full scan. The NCS has suspended the official pending investigation and says it is cooperating fully with NDLEA.

A Pattern at Nigerian Ports

This is not the first major drug seizure at Apapa. In 2024, NDLEA intercepted 1.8 tonnes of heroin in a similar frozen goods consignment. In 2023, 900 kilograms of methamphetamine were found in a container of industrial machinery. Each time, the agency announces a historic bust. Each time, the trafficking networks adapt and continue.

Anti-corruption campaigners argue that the pattern reflects a deeper problem: that Nigerian ports remain structurally vulnerable to trafficking because the incentive structures for port officials — low salaries, high exposure to criminal networks, weak internal oversight — make corruption a rational choice for individuals rather than an aberration.

"Every time NDLEA makes a big bust, we celebrate," one anti-trafficking researcher told The Trojan Beast. "But the question we should be asking is: how many containers went through that same port, in the same week, that nobody checked? The bust is the headline. The system failure is the story."

What Happens Next

The eight suspects will be charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos this week. NDLEA says it is pursuing additional suspects, including individuals believed to be outside Nigeria, and has requested international cooperation from law enforcement agencies in South America and Europe.

The import company's assets have been frozen pending investigation. Its directors, who have not been named publicly, are being sought for questioning.