By Oluwakemi Kindness
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken custody of 6,778.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, following what it described as one of Nigeria’s biggest seizures linked to an international drug trafficking network.
It said the illicit consignment was intercepted during joint examinations of two containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos by operatives of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies after months of intelligence-led investigations involving international partners.
Speaking during the formal handover of the seized drugs on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the operation demonstrates Nigeria’s resolve to dismantle transnational drug trafficking syndicates.
Represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, Marwa said the seizures resulted from coordinated operations carried out on June 15 and June 24, 2026.
According to him, the operation was driven by intelligence gathered by the NDLEA’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
Marwa said the drug syndicates deployed complex international maritime routes through Canada, Morocco and Nigeria in an attempt to evade law enforcement, but the consignments were tracked across multiple continents before being intercepted at Apapa Port.
He warned that the agency would go beyond drug seizures by targeting the financiers, assets and criminal networks behind the illicit trade.
“Our work does not end with seizure. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets and ensuring they derive no benefit from their illegal enterprise,” he said.
Marwa commended the Nigeria Customs Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other security agencies for their intelligence sharing and operational collaboration, describing the successful operation as evidence of the effectiveness of inter-agency and international cooperation in combating transnational organised crime.
He also praised NDLEA officers involved in the operation, saying their professionalism and vigilance prevented the illicit drugs from reaching Nigerian communities
