NDLEA Takes Custody of 6,778.5kg Canadian Loud Seized at Lagos Port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a high‑potency strain of cannabis, seized during a joint operation at Apapa Port in Lagos.

The illicit consignment was uncovered after a coordinated examination of two containers by NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. Officials described the interception as a major setback for international drug trafficking networks.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie‑Abia, said the operation demonstrated the growing strength of inter‑agency collaboration.

“Through two major seizures recorded on 15th and 24th June 2026, we send a clear and unequivocal message that we are more determined than ever to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond our borders,” Marwa stated.

He disclosed that the seizures followed months of intelligence gathering led by the NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to Marwa, the traffickers attempted to evade detection by using complicated international shipping routes, but NDLEA operatives tracked both containers across several continents before intercepting them in Lagos.

The first container, CAAU 7569127, left Toronto on 16th April 2026, moved by rail to Montreal, then loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express. It arrived at Tangier Med, Morocco, on 6th May 2026, was trans‑shipped onto the Spartel Trader, which berthed at Tin Can Island Port on 27th May 2026, subsequently moved to the Global Bonded Terminal and transferred by water to Apapa Port on 10th June 2026, where it was intercepted during a joint examination.

The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on 1st May 2026 aboard the Africa Express, was trans‑shipped onto the Algeciras Express on 15th May 2026 and arrived at Tin Can Island Port. After discharge on 4th June 2026, it was moved to Apapa Port on 22nd June 2026, where it fell into the hands of waiting officers.

Marwa emphasized that the agency’s work does not end with seizure; it will target the finances of the criminal groups behind the shipments, identify and prosecute those responsible, confiscate their assets and ensure they derive no benefit from their illegal enterprise.

He also praised the officers of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and all sister security agencies for their professionalism, dedication and courage, describing them as effective guardians of Nigeria’s maritime gateways.

The success, he added, was made possible by intelligence‑sharing and operational synergy among the participating agencies, showcasing what inter‑agency collaboration, international cooperation and intelligence‑driven operations can achieve in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.