The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilogrammes (6.8 tonnes) of Canadian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos in one of the largest drug seizures recorded in Nigeria in recent years.
The massive consignment was intercepted during joint examinations of two shipping containers by operatives of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies, in what authorities described as a major breakthrough against transnational drug trafficking networks.
Speaking during the formal handover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the successful operation underscores Nigeria’s growing capacity to disrupt international drug syndicates through intelligence-led enforcement and strategic inter-agency collaboration.
Marwa said the seizures, recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a strong signal to international drug traffickers that Nigeria is tightening its borders against illicit narcotics.
“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 the NDLEA chairman, the operation was the culmination of months of painstaking intelligence gathering and investigations conducted by the agency’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in close collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Nigeria Customs Service.
He disclosed that the traffickers employed complex maritime logistics spanning several countries in an attempt to evade detection, but NDLEA operatives successfully tracked the consignments from Canada to Nigeria.
Marwa explained that the first container, identified as CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on April 16, 2026, and was transported by rail to Montreal before being loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express. The shipment was later trans-shipped through Tangier Med Port in Morocco onto Spartel Trader, arriving at Tin Can Island Port before passing through the Global Bonded Terminal and eventually reaching Apapa Port, where it was intercepted during a joint examination on June 10.
The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1 aboard Africa Express before being transferred to Algeciras Express. It arrived at Tin Can Island Port on June 4 and was subsequently moved to Apapa Port on June 22, where NDLEA operatives intercepted the consignment.
Marwa stressed that the agency’s anti-narcotics strategy extends beyond the interception of illicit drugs, noting that investigators are determined to identify and dismantle the criminal networks financing the illegal trade.
“We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and undermine national security despite the devastating consequences for individuals, families and communities,” he said.
“Our work does not end with seizures. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets and ensuring they derive no benefit whatsoever from their criminal enterprise.”
The NDLEA boss commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other participating security agencies for their professionalism and unwavering commitment to the operation.
He said the successful seizure demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-sharing, operational synergy and international cooperation in combating organised crime.
“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 allow these dangerous substances to flood our communities.
“This success is a testament to the power of intelligence-driven operations, inter-agency collaboration and international partnerships in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking,” he added.
The latest seizure marks another significant milestone in the NDLEA’s intensified anti-drug campaign under Marwa’s leadership as the agency continues to deepen collaboration with international law enforcement bodies and strengthen intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing illicit drugs from reaching Nigerian communities.
