The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken custody of 8,287 bags of “Canadian Loud,” a highly potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos in what is considered one of Nigeria’s largest anti-narcotics operations in recent years.
The illicit consignment, weighing 6,778.5 kilograms, was concealed inside two 40-foot containers imported from Canada. The seizure followed months of intelligence gathering, surveillance and collaboration between the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and international law enforcement partners.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony at Apapa Port, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the operation as a major breakthrough in the country’s fight against transnational drug trafficking.
According to Marwa, investigations revealed that the containers departed Canada through separate shipping routes before transiting through international ports and eventually arriving in Lagos, where they were placed under surveillance until security operatives carried out the successful interception.
He explained that the operation was the result of painstaking intelligence-driven investigations by the agency’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Command in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and international partners.
Marwa said the seizure sends a strong warning to international drug trafficking syndicates that Nigeria’s ports are no longer safe corridors for illicit narcotics.
He added that beyond seizing the drugs, the agency has intensified efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute all individuals connected to the shipment, while also tracing and confiscating assets believed to have been acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking.
The NDLEA boss noted that drug trafficking remains a major threat to national security, public health and economic stability, stressing that the agency will continue to strengthen intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration to dismantle criminal networks operating within and outside Nigeria.
He commended officers of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies involved in the operation for their professionalism, dedication and commitment, describing the successful interception as another significant victory in the country’s sustained campaign against illicit drug trafficking.
The seizure represents one of the largest interceptions of imported cannabis at any Nigerian seaport and underscores the Federal Government’s renewed determination to combat organised crime and safeguard the nation’s borders
