NDLEA, Customs intercept 6,778kg Cannabis shipment from Canada at Lagos Port
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken custody of 6,778.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos during a joint operation involving the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.
Speaking at the handover ceremony on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Buba Marwa, said the seizure reflects the agency’s determination to disrupt international drug trafficking operations.
Represented by Ibinabo Archie-Abia, director of seaport operations, Marwa disclosed that the drugs were intercepted in two separate operations conducted on June 15 and June 24 after months of intelligence gathering.
According to him, the operation was coordinated by the NDLEA’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the NCS.
He explained that the trafficking syndicates employed complicated international shipping routes to avoid detection, but NDLEA operatives successfully tracked the consignments across several countries before intercepting them at the port.
Marwa said the first container, identified as CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on April 16 and was transported by rail to Montreal, where it was loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express. The shipment later moved through Tangier Med in Morocco before being transferred onto Spartel Trader and arriving at Tin Can Island Port on May 27.
He added that the container was later moved to Apapa Port, where it was intercepted during a joint inspection on June 10.
The NDLEA chairman also revealed that the second container, identified as HAMU 3246311, left Montreal on May 1 aboard Africa Express before being trans-shipped onto Algeciras Express. The shipment later arrived at Tin Can Island Port and was subsequently transferred to Apapa Port on June 22, where NDLEA officers intercepted it.
Marwa stated that the agency would not only focus on seizing illegal drugs but would also target the financial networks behind the trafficking operations.
“Our work does not end with seizure. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets, and ensuring that they derive no benefit whatsoever from their illegal enterprise,” he said.
He also praised the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for effective intelligence sharing and operational cooperation.
According to him, the successful operation highlights the importance of collaboration among local and international security agencies in tackling organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa reiterated the agency’s commitment to preventing dangerous drugs from entering Nigerian communities and dismantling criminal networks involved in their importation.
The NDLEA had earlier announced on June 28 that its operatives recovered Canadian Loud imported from Toronto with an estimated street value of N12.39 billion.
