The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
The illicit consignment was officially handed over to the NDLEA during a ceremony at the Apapa Port on Wednesday, following its interception during a joint examination of two containers by operatives of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
The NDLEA’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), represented by the agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the seizure as a historic accomplishment made possible through inter-agency cooperation, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
“We send a clear and unequivocal message that we are more determined than ever to dismantle organized criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond our borders through two major seizures recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026,” Marwa stated.
He revealed that the seizures came after months of intelligence-driven operations carried out by the Marine Intelligence Unit, the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Nigeria Customs Service.
He claims that while the worldwide drug syndicates used intricate maritime channels to try to avoid security forces, persistent monitoring allowed agents to follow the shipments across many continents before they were intercepted in Nigeria.
”It is important to specify exactly how these shipments were transported. On April 16, 2026, the first container, CAAU 7569127, left Toronto. It was transported by train to Montreal before being placed onboard the ship Ghallow Express* in an apparent attempt to avoid detection. It was transshipped onto the Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on May 27, 2026, after arriving in Tangier Med, Morocco, on May 6, 2026.
It was then moved to the Global Bonded Terminal before being transported by water to Apapa Port on June 10, 2026, where it was intercepted during a joint examination of the shipment by our men, our colleagues from the Customs Service, and other security agencies,” he stated.
Marwa further stated that the second container, known as HAMU 3246311, was transshipped onto the Algeciras Express on May 15 after departing Montreal on May 1 on the ship Africa Express.
He said, “It arrived at Tin Can Island Port and, after being discharged on June 4, 2026, was moved to Apapa Port on June 22, 2026, where it fell into the hands of our waiting officers.”
The head of NDLEA emphasized that the organization will target the financial networks that support drug trafficking in addition to seizing illegal substances.
”Despite the terrible toll that illegal drug trafficking takes on people, families, and communities, we acknowledge that the enormous riches it generates continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our country.
As a result, we are unwavering. Seizures are not the end of our efforts. We’re determined to find, apprehend, and prosecute the guilty, seize their illicit assets, and make sure they gain nothing from their illicit activity,” he declared.
Marwa also commended the professionalism and dedication of the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agency officers.
“I really applaud the commitment, professionalism, and bravery of the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service, the NDLEA, and all sister security services who refused to turn a blind eye and let these harmful chemicals enter our communities.
Your steadfast dedication and patriotism have once again demonstrated that you are capable defenders of our marine entrances.
Every involved agency’s operational coordination and intelligence sharing made this success feasible. In the battle against transnational organized crime and illegal drug trafficking, it is a potent illustration of what interagency cooperation, international cooperation, and intelligence-driven operations can accomplish,” he added.
