In a historic drug bust, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) PTML Command has intercepted one tonne of cocaine concealed in a container originally designated for export use. The seizure, valued at ₦29.4 billion, marks the first of its kind in the history of the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML).
Addressing journalists at a press conference, Comptroller Joe Anani, Customs Area Controller of PTML Command, revealed that the discovery was made on October 7, 2025, during routine disinfection of 39 empty containers brought in for export loading.
One container, numbered GCNU1332851, raised suspicions and was flagged by PTML terminal operators. A joint examination was immediately conducted by Customs officers alongside personnel from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), Police Anti-Bomb Squad, and other agencies.
Inside the container, officials found 50 packages, each containing 20 parcels of cocaine, totaling 1,000 kilograms. Rapid tests confirmed the substance, and the NDLEA has since taken custody of the seizure for further investigation.
“This is not just the first hard drug seizure in PTML’s history,” Anani stated, “but also one of the most mysterious cocaine interceptions ever recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service.”
Preliminary investigations suggest the container was loaded as empty from Freetown, Sierra Leone, with no listed consignee, reinforcing the unusual nature of the case. All other containers examined were confirmed to be empty.
Comptroller Anani commended the PTML terminal operators for their vigilance and swift reporting, emphasizing the importance of inter-agency collaboration in safeguarding Nigeria’s ports.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to maintaining PTML as a “no-go area” for prohibited items and warned stakeholders against attempting to exploit export channels for illicit trade.
The seizure has been handed over to the NDLEA for further action, under the directive of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.