By Lizzy Chirkpi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos, describing the seizure as a significant milestone in the fight against transnational drug trafficking.
The illicit consignment was intercepted during a joint examination of two containers by operatives of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies at the Lagos seaport following months of intelligence gathering and international collaboration.
Speaking at the formal handover ceremony on Wednesday at Apapa Port, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the Agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the operation highlighted the increasing effectiveness of intelligence-led cooperation among local and international law enforcement agencies.
“Through two major seizures recorded on 15th and 24th June 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 said.
He disclosed that the record seizures were the culmination of months of intelligence gathering by the NDLEA’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to him, the traffickers employed sophisticated international shipping routes in an attempt to evade detection, but sustained surveillance enabled security operatives to monitor the consignments across several countries before intercepting them on arrival in Nigeria.
“It bears stating clearly how these consignments moved. The first container, CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on 16th April 2026. In an apparent attempt to evade detection, it was moved by rail to Montreal before being loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express. It arrived at Tangier Med, Morocco, on 6th May 2026, where it was trans-shipped onto the Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on 27th May 2026. It was subsequently moved to the Global Bonded Terminal before being transferred by water to Apapa Port on 10th June 2026, where it was intercepted during a joint examination of the shipment between our men, our colleagues from the Customs Service and other security agencies.
“The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on 1st May 2026 aboard the vessel Africa Express, before being trans-shipped onto the Algeciras Express on 15th May 2026 and arriving at Tin Can Island Port. Following discharge on 4th June 2026, it was moved to Apapa Port on 22nd June 2026, where it fell into the hands of our waiting officers,” he stated.
Marwa said the agency remained committed not only to intercepting illicit drugs but also to dismantling the criminal networks and financial structures that sustain the illegal trade.
“We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our nation, despite 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, to confiscating their criminal assets, and to ensuring that they derive no benefit whatsoever from their illegal enterprise,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman also commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their professionalism and commitment, describing the successful operation as a testament to the value of inter-agency cooperation.
“I commend, in the strongest terms, the dedication, professionalism and courage of the officers and men of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and all sister security agencies who refused to look away and allow these dangerous substances to flood our communities. Your patriotism and unwavering commitment have once again proven that you are effective guardians of our maritime gateways.
“This success was made possible by the intelligence-sharing and operational synergy displayed by every participating agency. It is a powerful demonstration of what inter-agency collaboration, international cooperation and intelligence-driven operations can achieve in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking,” Marwa added.
The seizure represents one of the largest interceptions of imported cannabis at Nigeria’s seaports and underscores the NDLEA’s renewed focus on intelligence-driven operations and international partnerships aimed at disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks before illicit substances reach local communities.