NDLEA Intercepts N12.4bn Cannabis Shipment From Canada at Lagos Port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 6,778.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of N12.39 billion, at the Apapa Port in Lagos.

The seizure followed a joint operation involving the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the NDLEA and other security agencies after months of intelligence gathering.

Speaking during the handover of the seized consignments on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), said the operation underscored the agency's commitment to dismantling international drug trafficking networks.

Marwa, who was represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the drugs were recovered in two separate interceptions carried out on June 15 and June 24.

According to him, the operation was coordinated by the NDLEA's Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Nigeria Customs Service.

He said investigations revealed that the traffickers used complex international shipping routes in an attempt to evade security checks.

The first container, marked 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 passed through Tangier Med, Morocco, before being trans-shipped onto Spartel Trader and arriving at Tin Can Island Port on May 27. It was subsequently transferred to Apapa Port, where NDLEA operatives intercepted it during a joint examination.

The second container, marked HAMU 3246311, left Montreal on May 1 aboard Africa Express before being trans-shipped onto Algeciras Express. It later arrived at Tin Can Island Port and was moved to Apapa Port, where it was intercepted on June 22.

Marwa said the agency would not stop at seizing illicit drugs but would also target those responsible for importing them and the financial networks supporting the illegal trade.

"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 commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their intelligence sharing and operational collaboration, describing the operation as another demonstration of the importance of domestic and international partnerships in combating transnational organised crime.

Marwa reaffirmed the NDLEA's commitment to preventing illicit drugs from entering Nigerian communities while intensifying efforts to dismantle criminal syndicates involved in drug trafficking.