The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at Apapa Port in Lagos in what authorities described as a major breakthrough against international drug trafficking networks.
The illicit consignment was seized during a joint operation involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies following months of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
Speaking at the formal handover ceremony on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the seizures recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a strong warning to criminal organisations involved in the global drug trade.
According to Marwa, the operation was driven by intelligence from the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
He revealed that the trafficking syndicates used complex international shipping routes in an attempt to evade detection, but NDLEA operatives successfully tracked the containers across multiple countries before intercepting them in Nigeria.
The first container, identified as CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto, Canada, on April 16, 2026, before passing through Montreal and Morocco en route to Nigeria. It was eventually intercepted at Apapa Port during a joint examination by security agencies.
The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1 and followed a similar route before arriving in Lagos, where it was seized by operatives.
Marwa said the agency’s efforts would not stop at the seizure of the drugs, stressing that investigators are also targeting the individuals and financial networks behind the operation.
“We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets, and ensuring they derive no benefit whatsoever from their illegal enterprise,” he said.
He commended NDLEA officers, Customs personnel, and other security agencies involved in the operation, describing the seizure as a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of intelligence sharing, international cooperation, and coordinated enforcement efforts in the fight against transnational organised crime.