Nigeria Seizes Record 1.8 Tons Of Cocaine

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized a record 1.8 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated value of $278 million (€277 million) from a warehouse located in a residential area of Lagos.

Photo Insert: West Africa is a major transit center for cocaine made in Latin America and sold in Europe.

The cocaine haul was reported by Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) to be destined for drug syndicates operating in Europe and Asia.

A spokesman for NDLEA also confirmed to Reuters that the drug raid came after years of investigative work. At least four people were arrested in connection with the seizure.

They are believed to be members of an international drug syndicate the NDLEA had been monitoring since 2018 in coordination with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

West Africa is a major transit center for cocaine made in Latin America and sold in Europe. In April this year, over two tons of cocaine was seized in Ivory Coast while 9.5 tons of cocaine was recovered in Cape Verde.

With the Lagos haul, the total volume of illegal drugs seized in Africa this year is more than 13 metric tons, Deutsche Welle also reported.

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