The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of a massive 6.7-ton shipment of ‘Canadian Loud,’ a high-grade cannabis strain intercepted at Apapa Port in Lagos, describing the seizure as a major victory against transnational drug trafficking.
The illicit consignment was uncovered during a joint inspection involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Apapa Port, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the seizure as a landmark achievement made possible through intelligence sharing and strong inter-agency collaboration.
Marwa said the twin seizures recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a clear message that security agencies are intensifying efforts to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
According to him, the breakthrough followed a months-long intelligence operation led 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.
He disclosed that the traffickers relied on complex international maritime routes in an attempt to beat security checks, but NDLEA intelligence officers successfully tracked the shipments across several continents before intercepting them at the port.
Marwa explained that the first container departed Toronto on April 16, 2026, travelled by rail to Montreal, was shipped through Tangier Med, Morocco, and later transferred through Tin Can Island before arriving at Apapa Port, where it was intercepted during a joint examination.
The second container, he added, left Montreal on May 1, 2026, passed through another trans-shipment route before arriving in Nigeria, where NDLEA officers and partner agencies intercepted it at Apapa Port.
The NDLEA boss stressed that the agency’s mission extends beyond drug seizures to dismantling the financial networks behind illicit trafficking.
He vowed that the agency would identify, arrest and prosecute those behind the shipments, confiscate their criminal assets and ensure they derive no benefit from the illegal trade.
Marwa also commended officers of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their professionalism, courage and patriotism, describing them as effective guardians of Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
He added that the operation underscores the importance of intelligence-driven policing, inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.
