Two suspects from China and Taiwan were charged on Monday with bringing 450.4 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria, the second-largest such haul on record in the country, court documents showed.
Wang Richard of China and Fong Chiu Sen from Taiwan, along with three Nigerian accomplices, were accused at Federal High Court over the drugs seized last month after the cocaine arrived at Lagos port, the country’s largest.
They were working as clearing agents at the port.
The half-tonne cocaine haul was worth four billion naira (26.6 million dollars, 20.6 million euros), officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said.
The five accused, who were present in court, pleaded not guilty to the charges and judge Okon Abang ordered them to remain in custody until September 6, when their trial will begin.
They allegedly imported the drugs into Nigeria from Chile.
It was the second-largest haul of the drug on record in the country, following the seizure of 14.2 tonnes at the same port in 2006, NDLEA said.