The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, intercepted in two containers at the Apapa Port, Lagos, in what the agency described as one of Nigeria’s biggest anti-narcotics operations against international drug trafficking networks.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the seizure underscored the growing effectiveness of intelligence-led operations and collaboration among local and international security agencies in disrupting transnational drug syndicates.
Represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, during the formal handover ceremony, Marwa said the drugs were intercepted during joint examinations conducted by NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies following months of coordinated intelligence gathering.
He said the operation, which resulted in the seizures on June 15 and June 24, was driven 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.
According to him, the traffickers employed complex international shipping routes in an attempt to evade detection, moving the consignments through multiple countries before they arrived in Nigeria.
Marwa explained that one of the containers departed Toronto on April 16, passed through Montreal and Morocco before arriving at Tin Can Island Port and was later transferred to Apapa Port, where it was intercepted. The second shipment, he said, followed a similar route from Montreal before its eventual interception at Apapa Port.
He vowed that the agency would not only confiscate illicit drugs but also dismantle the financial networks sustaining drug trafficking.
“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.
The NDLEA chairman commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for what he described as exemplary inter-agency cooperation, saying the successful operation demonstrated the value of intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement in combating transnational organised crime.
He also praised officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and commitment to preventing dangerous drugs from reaching Nigerian communities.