A combined operation at Apapa Port in Lagos resulted in the seizure of 6,778.5 kg of Canadian Loud, a powerful strain of cannabis, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In what officials called a significant blow to global drug trafficking networks, the illegal shipment was apprehended following a coordinated inspection of two containers by NDLEA agents, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, the agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, stated that the operation demonstrated the strengthening of interagency cooperation.
“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 24, 2026,” Marwa stated.
He revealed that the seizures came after months of intelligence collection by the Nigeria Customs Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit.
He claims that the traffickers attempted to evade security checks by using convoluted international shipping routes, but NDLEA agents followed both containers across many continents before apprehending them in Lagos.
“It bears stating clearly how these consignments moved,” he stated. On April 16, 2026, the first container, CAAU 7569127, left Toronto. It was transported by rail to Montreal and then placed onto the ship Ghallow Express in what appeared to be an 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 transported to the Global Bonded Terminal before being transported by water to Apapa Port on June 10, 2026, when our guys, our Customs Service colleagues, and other security agencies jointly examined the consignment and found it.
“The second container, HAMU 3246311, left Montreal on May 1st, 2026, on the ship Africa Express. On May 15th, 2026, it was transferred onto the Algeciras Express and arrived at Tin Can Island Port. After being discharged on June 4, 2026, it was sent to Apapa Port on June 22, 2026, when our waiting personnel took possession of it.
Marwa stated that the agency would target the money of the criminal organizations responsible for the shipments in addition to seizing drugs.
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. We are hence 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.
Additionally, he 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,” Marwa continued.
Every involved agency’s operational coordination and intelligence sharing made this success feasible. It is a potent example of what intelligence-driven operations, international cooperation, and interagency cooperation can accomplish in the battle against transnational organized crime and illegal drug trafficking.
