Comptroller Joe Anani Makes Significant Impact In Anti- smuggling Operations At PTML Command
By Asuquo Nuwak
Comptroller Joe Anani Makes Significant Impact In Anti- smuggling Operations At PTML Command
••• Intercepts 1,000 kilograms of cocaine worth N29.4 billion
The Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command, of Nigerian Customs Service, has intercepted cocaine valued at N29.4 billion in an export-bound empty container at the Lagos seaport.
The Customs Area Controller of PTML command, Comptroller Joe Anani, who announced this during the media press briefing on the performance of the command at the command Headquarters in Lagos on Tuesday, also added that the interception followed a report from the PTML terminal operator, who discovered suspicious packages in one of the 39 empty containers meant for export loading.
According to Comptroller Joe Anani, the 1x20ft container with number GCNU1332851, brought in from Freetown, Sierra Leone, was flagged during a routine disinfection exercise on October 7, 2025.
During the press briefing, Comptroller Joe Anani pointed out that the terminal operator alerted the command immediately, and a joint examination was conducted alongside officers of the NDLEA, Department of State Services (DSS), Police Anti-Bomb Squad, and other agencies.
That is not all, he stated that 50 packages containing 20 parcels each were uncovered during the inspection. A rapid tests conducted confirmed the contents as cocaine, weighing a total of 1,000 kilograms (one tonne), with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦29,403,738,000.
Still, Comptroller Joe Anani, who further revealed that this container did not arrive Nigeria as an import consignment, also disclosed that the container was part of a batch of empty containers brought in by the terminal operator for export purposes.
Comptroller Joe Anani, who described the incident as one of the most “mysterious cocaine interceptions” in the Service’s history, also said that no arrest had been made since the container had no consignee linked to it.
The Customs Area Controller, who commended the PTML terminal operator for promptly reporting the anomaly, also commended the collaboration between security agencies in the operation.
Meanwhile, he noted that this seizure underscores the high level of cooperation and vigilance among our officers, terminal operators, and sister security agencies.
However, he reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s ports and ensuring that PTML remains a “no-go area” for prohibited imports and exports.
In accordance with the command’s commitment to collaboration and partnership in the fight against illicit drugs, and on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MGR, PhD, the Customs Area Controller of PTML Area command, Comptroller Joe Anani, handed over the seized cocaine to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA for further investigation and necessary action.
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