- NDLEA Takes Custody of 6,778.5kg Canadian Loud Cannabis Seized at Lagos Port
- Marwa Hails Inter-Agency Collaboration
- Traces Canadian Cannabis Shipment Across Continents Before Lagos Seizure
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 Seaport in Lagos.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the illicit consignment was officially handed over to the agency during a ceremony at the port on Wednesday after it was intercepted during a joint examination of two containers by operatives of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.
EDITOR’S PICK
- MSME Awards 2026: Tinubu Announces Free Registration for 250,000 Businesses
- Sanwo-Olu Targets Cleaner Lagos, Unveils Plan for 150 Compactors
- Tinubu Signs New NIMC Act, Strengthens Nigeria’s Digital Identity System
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), who was represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the seizure as a major breakthrough made possible through intelligence sharing and strong inter-agency collaboration.
Marwa said the two major seizures, recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a clear message to organised criminal syndicates that security agencies are intensifying efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and outside Nigeria.
According to him, the operation followed months of intelligence gathering coordinated by the NDLEA’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Nigeria Customs Service.
He explained that the traffickers employed complex international shipping routes in a bid to evade security checks, but sustained surveillance enabled operatives to monitor the consignments across multiple countries before intercepting them in Nigeria.
Marwa disclosed that the first container, identified as CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on April 16, 2026, before being transported by rail to Montreal. It was later loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express, arrived at Tangier Med, Morocco, on May 6, and was trans-shipped onto Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on May 27.
The container was subsequently moved to the Global Bonded Terminal before being transferred by water to Apapa Port on June 10, where it was intercepted during a joint examination involving the NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.
The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1 aboard Africa Express before being trans-shipped onto Algeciras Express on May 15. It arrived at Tin Can Island Port and, after being discharged on June 4, was transferred to Apapa Port on June 22, where NDLEA operatives intercepted it.
Marwa stressed that the agency’s efforts would not stop at confiscating illicit drugs but would also focus on dismantling the financial networks that sustain drug trafficking operations.
He noted that the enormous profits generated from the illegal drug trade continue to fuel organised crime and inflict devastating consequences on individuals, families and communities.
According to him, the NDLEA remains committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those behind the trafficking operations while confiscating assets linked to their criminal activities to ensure they do not benefit from the proceeds of crime.
The NDLEA chairman also commended officers of the agency, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their professionalism, dedication and commitment, describing the operation as a testament to the success of intelligence-led policing, inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration in tackling transnational organised crime.
FURTHER READING
- Alausa Commends UI, UNILAG, BUK as Nigeria Gains Ground in Global Rankings
- Tinubu Intensifies War on Drugs
- Tinubu Reassures South-West on Security
Click here to watch video of the week
