The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted cocaine valued at ₦2.35 billion along a major West African smuggling corridor, arresting a 71-year-old suspect in connection with the seizure.
The disclosure was made in Lagos on Tuesday by Comptroller Gambo Aliyu during the handover of the illicit consignment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Interception on Key regional corridor
According to Aliyu, customs operatives intercepted a Toyota Highlander conveying 6.35 kilograms of cocaine along the Abidjan–Lagos Corridor, a critical trade and transit route linking Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire.
The suspect was immediately taken into custody, while the seized drugs were transferred to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.
Aliyu noted that the agency is increasingly deploying advanced surveillance systems—including geospatial intelligence, satellite imagery, drones, and predictive analytics—to identify and disrupt smuggling networks.
Wider crackdown yields multiple seizures
The cocaine bust forms part of a broader enforcement operation that led to the seizure of contraband valued at over ₦5.5 billion within the same period.
Key recoveries include:
3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing 1,540kg, seized under Operation Hawk
Prohibited items such as explosives, petrol, and “Ghana Loud” cannabis
Four cylinders of mercury (80kg each), a hazardous substance regulated under international environmental protocols
The operations, conducted across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo states, resulted in:
473 smuggling attempts foiled within eight weeks
₦97.7 million recovered from underpaid import duties
NDLEA commends collaboration
Receiving the items, NDLEA Commander Ibrahim Kabiru praised the customs service for its professionalism and inter-agency cooperation.
“I formally received two parcels of suspected cocaine weighing 2.30kg, four parcels of crack cocaine weighing 4.05kg, 3,340 cannabis parcels and three suspects,” he said.
Rising scale of drug seizures
Recent enforcement actions highlight a growing scale of illicit trafficking across Nigeria.
In March, the NCS intercepted 13 containers of expired drugs and restricted goods worth ₦6.38 billion at Apapa Port
The same command seized 3,398 cartons of codeine syrup valued at ₦3.39 billion
In February, synthetic cannabis and other contraband worth ₦3.3 billion were recovered in Lagos
Separately, NDLEA operatives recently raided three drug warehouses in Lagos, recovering opioids valued at ₦16.9 billion.
While authorities say these seizures demonstrate improved enforcement capacity, they also underscore the expanding scale and sophistication of drug trafficking networks in the country.
