The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria has seized around 1,000 kilograms of cocaine at Tincan Island Port in Lagos. This marks the largest single cocaine seizure in the port's history and has sparked an international investigation with the involvement of U.S. and British law enforcement agencies.

The huge stash of drugs was found last weekend in an empty container at the PTML Terminal, with an estimated street value of more than $235 million in international markets. Port operators noticed the suspicious shipment and quickly alerted the NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies to conduct a joint inspection.

After conducting field tests that confirmed the substance was cocaine, the NDLEA officially took custody of the drugs on Tuesday.

Due to the large amount of the Class A drug and the clearly extensive reach of the trafficking operation, NDLEA Chief Marwa acted quickly to involve international partners. Officers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the UK's National Crime Agency have joined the ongoing investigation.

Marwa emphasized the importance of working with international partners to ensure that every detail is thoroughly investigated, aiming to bring all the masterminds behind this significant shipment to justice, no matter where they are. He mentioned that this collaboration followed effective discussions with the Customs Chief on the case.

This seizure is a major win for Nigerian authorities in their fight against global drug trafficking networks, which increasingly use West African ports as transit points for drugs headed to European and American markets.

The investigation is still ongoing as authorities try to identify and capture those responsible for attempting to smuggle this large cocaine shipment through one of West Africa's busiest ports.