Nigeria: Record 1.8 tonnes of cocaine destined for Europe and Asia, seized

A record 1.8 tonnes of cocaine was seized from a warehouse in Lagos by Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. According to the agency’s spokesperson, the street value of these drugs is an estimated $278.5 million. Additionally, they have also arrested 5 people in connection with the raid. These drugs were reportedly headed to customers in Europe and Asia.

The drugs were found, on Sunday, in a residential estate's warehouse, said the authorities. According to reports, West Africa is a major transit hub for cocaine made in Latin American countries and sold in Europe.

This agency, on Monday, indicated that the drug raid came after years of investigation and the people arrested are the members of an international drug syndicate that they have been tracking since 2018 in coordination with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. They have also described it as one of the largest drug busts in the country ever.Reportedly, among those arrested were four Nigerians and one Jamaican citizen.

Earlier this year, in April, over 2 tonnes of cocaine were seized on Ivory Coast and 9.5 tonnes of cocaine was recovered in Cape Verde, in 2019. Meanwhile, the year 2020 saw a record amount of global cocaine seizures which was 1,424 tonnes, said the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

(with inputs from agencies)