Comptroller Joe Anani Achieves Major Breakthrough in Anti-Smuggling Efforts at PTML Command
The Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted cocaine worth ₦29.4 billion concealed in an export-bound empty container at the Lagos seaport.
Speaking at a press briefing on the command’s performance on Tuesday in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of PTML, Comptroller Joe Anani, explained that the discovery was made after the terminal operator reported suspicious items found in one of 39 empty containers scheduled for export.
Comptroller Anani said the 1x20ft container, marked GCNU1332851 and originating from Freetown, Sierra Leone, was flagged during a routine disinfection exercise on October 7, 2025. The terminal operator promptly informed the command, leading to a joint examination involving officers from the NDLEA, Department of State Services (DSS), Police Anti-Bomb Squad, and other security agencies.
According to him, the inspection uncovered 50 packages containing 20 parcels each. Rapid testing confirmed the substance as cocaine, weighing a total of 1,000 kilograms (one tonne), with a Duty Paid Value of ₦29,403,738,000.
Comptroller Anani further clarified that the container was not imported into Nigeria as cargo but was among a group of empty containers delivered by the terminal operator for export use. He described the seizure as one of the most “mysterious cocaine interceptions” ever recorded by the Service, noting that no arrests have been made because the container had no identifiable consignee.
He commended the PTML terminal operator for immediately reporting the suspicious find and praised the synergy among the security agencies involved. The seizure, he said, demonstrates the high level of alertness and collaboration among Customs officers, terminal operators, and partner agencies.
Reaffirming the command’s dedication to safeguarding Nigeria’s ports, Comptroller Anani emphasized that PTML will continue to be a “no-go area” for prohibited items, whether imported or exported.
In line with inter-agency cooperation, and on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, Comptroller Anani formally handed over the confiscated cocaine to the NDLEA for further investigation and necessary action.
About The Author
