By: Kingsley Omonobi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, intercepted during a joint examination of two containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos, in what authorities described as a major blow to transnational drug trafficking networks.
The illicit consignment was seized during a coordinated operation involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies.
Speaking at the formal handover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, represented by the Agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the seizure as a landmark achievement in inter-agency collaboration.
Marwa said the two major seizures, recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a strong message to organised criminal groups involved in international drug trafficking.
“Through these two major seizures, 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,” he said.
According to him, the operation was the result of months of intelligence-led investigations carried out by the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
Marwa disclosed that the drug trafficking syndicates employed complex international maritime routes in an attempt to evade law enforcement, but NDLEA surveillance teams successfully tracked the shipments across multiple continents before intercepting them in Nigeria.
He explained that the first container, with identification number CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto 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 Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on May 27.
The container was later moved to the Global Bonded Terminal and transferred by water to Apapa Port on June 10, where it was intercepted during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.
The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1 aboard Africa Express, was trans-shipped onto Algeciras Express on May 15, and arrived at Tin Can Island Port before being moved to Apapa Port on June 22, where it was intercepted by waiting operatives.
Marwa stressed that the agency’s efforts would extend beyond the seizure of illicit drugs to dismantling the financial networks behind the trafficking operations.
“We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our nation. Our work does not end with seizure. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets, and ensuring 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.
He said 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.
