Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency has delivered a crushing blow to an international drug trafficking syndicate, seizing a massive consignment of the high-potency cannabis strain 'Canadian Loud' worth over ₦10.4 billion at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos. The bust, which involved months of painstaking surveillance, international cooperation, and a joint examination of a shipping container, marks the second massive seizure of the illicit substance by the agency in less than a week.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the seizure of 4,173.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a high-potency synthetic strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of N10,433,750,000 (approximately $7.5 million based on the official exchange rate). The agency disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The successful operation was the culmination of a complex, two-month-long intelligence-led investigation that tracked the illicit shipment across three continents. According to the NDLEA, the consignment originated in Toronto, Canada, where it was packed and shipped on March 28, 2026. It was then transported by rail to Montreal, from where it was loaded onto a vessel named the 'Jakarta Express'. The shipment arrived at the Tanger Med Port in Morocco on April 15, where it was discharged and reloaded onto another vessel, the 'Osaka Voyage,' which finally berthed at the Lagos Port on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Throughout this international journey, the NDLEA’s Marine Intelligence Unit (MIU) and the Tincan Island Strategic Command maintained surveillance, working in close collaboration with international partners. These partners included the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The agency’s patience and coordinated efforts culminated in the seizure of the container on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, during a joint examination by NDLEA operatives, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies. The illicit drugs were found to have been "professionally packed and concealed" inside two used vehicles stashed within the container: a Ford Bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300 car.
This latest seizure comes barely four days after a separate NDLEA operation in which operatives raided a mansion in the upscale Lekki area of Lagos. In that raid, which took place on May 8, 2026, the agency recovered 4,000 parcels of the same psychoactive substance, weighing 2,326 kilograms and worth over ₦5.8 billion.
Speaking during the formal handover of the seized exhibits by the Customs Service, the NDLEA’s Director of Seaports Operations, ACG Ibinabo ArchieAbia, highlighted the significance of the operation. She stated that the "achievement once again demonstrates the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation, international collaboration, and intelligence-driven operations in combating transnational organized crime and illicit drug trafficking".
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their vigilance and professionalism. He noted that the volume of recent 'Loud' seizures points to a coordinated attempt by international drug syndicates to flood the Nigerian market with synthetic strains of cannabis. "This second massive seizure in less than a week is a clear message to the international syndicates who think they can use our ports as entry points for their soul-destroying trade, that the synergy between NDLEA and Customs Service as well as other security agencies and our international partners... is yielding fantastic results," Marwa declared. "We will not rest until every link in this supply chain is broken and those behind these shipments are brought to justice," he added.
As of the time of this report, no arrests have been made in connection with the multi-billion naira seizure. The investigation is ongoing.
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