Nigeria's Anti-Drug Agency Seizes 6,778.5 Kilograms of Cannabis from Canada at Lagos Harbor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has officially taken possession of a massive 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis, which was seized at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.

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This illicit shipment was formally handed over to the NDLEA during a ceremony held at the Apapa Port on Wednesday, marking the culmination of a joint examination of two containers by operatives from the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.

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A statement issued by the agency's spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday revealed that the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, described the seizure as a landmark achievement, made possible through inter-agency collaboration, during a ceremony where he was represented by the agency's Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia.

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According to Marwa, the seizures, which occurred on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a clear message that the agency is more determined than ever to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria's borders.

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Marwa disclosed that the seizures were the result of months of intelligence-led operations coordinated by the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and the Marine Intelligence Unit, in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Nigeria Customs Service.

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He explained that international drug syndicates attempted to evade security agencies by using complex maritime routes, but sustained surveillance enabled operatives to track the consignments across multiple continents before their interception in Nigeria.

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The first container, CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on 16th April 2026, and in an apparent attempt to evade detection, it was moved by rail to Montreal before being loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express.

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It arrived at Tangier Med, Morocco, on 6th May 2026, where it was trans-shipped onto the Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on 27th May 2026, and was subsequently moved to the Global Bonded Terminal before being transferred by water to Apapa Port on 10th June 2026.

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Marwa added that the second container, identified as HAMU 3246311, left Montreal on May 1 aboard the vessel Africa Express, before being trans-shipped onto the Algeciras Express on May 15, and arrived at Tin Can Island Port, where it was discharged on 4th June 2026, and moved to Apapa Port on 22nd June 2026.

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The NDLEA boss stressed that the agency's work goes beyond confiscating illicit drugs, as it also targets the financial networks behind the trafficking operations, recognising that the profits generated by illicit drug trafficking fuel crimes against humanity and the nation.

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Marwa emphasized that the agency is committed to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets, and ensuring that they derive no benefit from their illegal enterprise.

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He praised the officers of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies for their professionalism and commitment, commending their dedication, professionalism, and courage in refusing to allow the dangerous substances to flood communities.

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Marwa noted that the success was made possible by the intelligence-sharing and operational synergy displayed by every participating agency, demonstrating the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration, international cooperation, and intelligence-driven operations in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.