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 at the Apapa Port in Lagos in one of Nigeria’s largest anti-drug operations targeting transnational trafficking networks.
The illicit consignment was seized during a joint examination of two containers by operatives of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies, following months of intelligence-driven investigations involving international partners.
Speaking during the formal handover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the operation as a landmark achievement in inter-agency collaboration.
Marwa said the two major seizures, made on June 15 and June 24, 2026, demonstrate the agency’s resolve to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
He disclosed that the successful operation resulted from months of intelligence gathering by the NDLEA 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 international drug syndicates employed sophisticated maritime routes across multiple continents in an attempt to evade detection. However, NDLEA operatives successfully tracked the shipments from Canada through Morocco before intercepting them at the Lagos ports.
Marwa explained that the first container departed Toronto on April 16, 2026, was transported by rail to Montreal, shipped through Tangier Med in Morocco, and eventually arrived at Tin Can Island Port before being transferred to Apapa Port, where it was intercepted during a joint examination.
The second container departed Montreal on May 1 aboard the vessel Africa Express, was later trans-shipped onto Algeciras Express, and eventually arrived at Tin Can Island Port before its transfer to Apapa Port, where officers seized it.
The NDLEA boss stressed that the agency’s efforts would extend beyond confiscating illicit drugs to dismantling the financial networks sustaining drug trafficking.
“We remain resolute. 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.
Marwa also commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their professionalism, dedication, and intelligence-sharing, noting that the successful operation underscored the importance of inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration in combating transnational organised crime.
He reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime gateways and preventing illicit drugs from reaching communities across the country.
