Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilogrammes (approximately 6.8 tonnes) of Canadian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos in what authorities have described as one of the largest anti-narcotics seizures in Nigeria's recent history, following months of intelligence-driven surveillance that tracked the consignments across multiple continents.
The historic seizure was the culmination of a painstaking operation spearheaded by the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and the NDLEA Marine Intelligence Unit, working in close collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The illicit drugs were discovered in two shipping containers during joint examinations conducted on June 15 and June 24, 2026, according to a statement by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Speaking at the formal handover and takeover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, who was represented by the Agency's Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the seizure as a landmark moment in the history of inter-agency synergy in Nigeria. "Through two major seizures recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, we send a clear and unequivocal message that we are more determined than ever to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond our borders," Marwa declared.
According to Marwa, international drug syndicates employed highly complex maritime routes in an attempt to evade law enforcement, but NDLEA surveillance officers successfully tracked the shipments across multiple continents before their interception in Nigeria. The first container, with identification number CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto, Canada, on April 16, 2026, and was transported by rail to Montreal before being loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express. It arrived at Tangier Med, Morocco, on May 6, where it was trans-shipped onto the Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on May 27. The container was subsequently moved to the Global Bonded Terminal before being transferred by water to Apapa Port on June 10, where it was intercepted during a joint examination by NDLEA operatives, Customs officials, and other security agencies.
The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1, 2026, aboard the vessel Africa Express, before being trans-shipped onto the Algeciras Express on May 15 and arriving at Tin Can Island Port on June 4. Following discharge, it was moved to Apapa Port on June 22, where it fell into the waiting hands of NDLEA officers. The sophisticated routing, spanning Canada, Morocco, and Nigeria, underscores the lengths to which transnational drug cartels are willing to go to smuggle illicit substances into the country, and the growing capacity of Nigerian security agencies to counter such threats.
Marwa warned that the agency would not stop at mere confiscations but would aggressively go after the financial structures of the syndicates to ensure traffickers derive no benefit from their illicit trade. "We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our nation, in spite of the devastating toll they take on individuals, families and communities. As such, we remain resolute. Our work does not end with seizure. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, as well as confiscating their criminal assets, and to ensuring that they derive no benefit whatsoever from their illegal enterprise," he said.
The NDLEA boss commended the professionalism and commitment of officers of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other participating security agencies, describing the operation as a testament to the effectiveness of intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation. "I commend, in the strongest terms, the dedication, professionalism and courage of the officers and men of the NDLEA, the NCS and all sister security agencies that refused to look away and allow these dangerous substances to flood our communities," he stated. The successful interception demonstrated what could be achieved through sustained collaboration, international partnerships, and intelligence-driven operations in combating transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.
The seizure is one of the largest cannabis interceptions recorded at Nigeria's seaports in recent years and forms part of ongoing efforts by the NDLEA to disrupt international drug trafficking networks operating through the country's maritime gateways. The operation also highlights the growing effectiveness of collaboration between the NDLEA, Customs, other security agencies, and international partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. As Marwa put it, "This success was made possible by intelligence-sharing and operational synergy among all participating agencies. It is a powerful demonstration of what inter-agency collaboration, international cooperation and intelligence-driven operations can achieve in the fight against transnational crime."
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