Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted 1,490.5 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as "Loud," with an estimated street value of over N4.4 billion, in two separate containers shipped from Thailand through the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos. The seizures, which mark the agency's first recorded interception of illicit drugs trafficked into Nigeria from Southeast Asia through the maritime corridor, have exposed a new route being exploited by international drug syndicates to flood the Nigerian market with synthetic cannabis. The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday, August 23, 2026, that both containers originated from the Port of Laem Chabang in Thailand, representing a significant escalation in the sophistication and geographic reach of drug trafficking networks targeting Nigeria.
At the Apapa Port, NDLEA operatives, working in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, examined a container on Friday, August 21, 2026, that had been declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries. However, a thorough search uncovered 1,090.5 kilogrammes of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets, each weighing 500 grammes. At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container that had been placed on the NDLEA's watchlist and monitored by its Marine Special Operations Unit was jointly examined on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The examination led to the discovery of another 400 kilogrammes of Thai Loud concealed beneath pallets of A4 paper. The drug was found on four of the seven pallets in the container, packed in 96 cartons containing 400 parcels, while the remaining three pallets held 798 reams of A4 paper used as a cover. The two seizures brought the total quantity of Thai Loud recovered at the Lagos ports to 1,490.5 kilogrammes.
The interception of the Thai consignments is particularly significant because it marks the first time the NDLEA has intercepted illicit drugs shipped into Nigeria through a maritime route from Thailand. Most large cannabis seizures announced by the agency in recent months have involved consignments from other countries. On July 20, 2026, NDLEA operatives intercepted 2,388.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud at the Apapa seaport, packed in 4,777 sachets and concealed in three vehicles, with a street value of more than N7.1 billion. The latest seizures suggest that traffickers are continuing to explore Nigeria's busy seaports and different international supply routes to move synthetic cannabis into the country. The NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to maintain the pressure on drug trafficking networks operating through the country's maritime corridors.
The seizures at the Lagos ports were part of a nationwide series of operations conducted by NDLEA operatives between August 15 and 22, 2026, which also resulted in the destruction of 10 tonnes of cannabis, the interception of cocaine concealed inside edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu, and the arrest of a 101-year-old woman allegedly involved in retail cannabis sales. In one of the most unusual arrests recorded during the operations, NDLEA operatives in Ogun State nabbed a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, at Ilisan on Saturday, August 15, 2026, with 90 grammes of skunk packaged in retail sachets. The centenarian reportedly told investigators that she sold the cannabis to residents in the area after her provisions shop was destroyed by fire. She further claimed that one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, arranged for supplies to be delivered to her every four days, which she then sold in small quantities. Following her arrest, Marwa directed that the elderly woman be granted bail and placed on counselling because of her advanced age, while her daughter was arrested in connection with the alleged drug dealing.
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas on Friday, August 21, 2026, following intelligence that illicit drugs were being transported to fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested aboard the vessel, including 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John, who was found with 20 grammes of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, alongside 435 grammes of skunk. The other suspects, 29-year-old Etima Effiong Eekpo and 33-year-old Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, were found with 1.120 kilogrammes and 42.060 kilogrammes of skunk respectively, bringing the total narcotics recovered from the boat to 42.622 kilogrammes. The operation exposed the increasingly innovative methods employed by drug traffickers to conceal illicit substances, including the use of food items such as fufu to mask the smell and appearance of drugs.
Other operations during the week included the interception of 24,410 tramadol pills hidden in waybill packages inside a bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba, leading to the arrest of the consignment's owner in Kontagora, Niger State; the destruction of 10,000 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated on a four-hectare cannabis farm in Ijare Forest, Ondo State; the seizure of 1.325 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and cannabis from a car intercepted along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway in Kwara State; and the arrest of a 65-year-old woman in Ibadan with a 4.68 kilogramme cocktail of Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and flunitrazepam. Further raids recorded seizures in Kano, Seme in Lagos, and Abia State, the latter yielding Loud, Colorado, tramadol and rohypnol from a residence in Umuahia South.
Alongside enforcement actions, NDLEA commands nationwide continued sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse campaign, engaging schools, religious institutions and community leaders across Kano, Oyo, Kebbi, Taraba, Edo and Ogun states. Marwa commended operatives across the affected commands and urged continued commitment to what he described as the agency's "balanced approach" to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention and treatment. The interception of the N4.4 billion Thai Loud consignment and the uncovering of the new Thailand-Nigeria maritime drug route represent a significant victory in the fight against drug trafficking, but they also highlight the growing sophistication of international drug syndicates and the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation to protect Nigeria's ports and borders from becoming conduits for illicit drugs.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments