The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, following a major Canadian Loud seizure at Apapa Port in Lagos.
The illicit consignment was intercepted during coordinated operations involving the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies, with authorities describing the operation as a significant breakthrough against international drug trafficking networks.
The handover ceremony took place at Apapa Port on Wednesday, where NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, was represented by the agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia.
Marwa described the operation as a landmark achievement resulting from close collaboration among Nigerian security agencies and international partners. He said the two seizures, recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, demonstrate the determination of law enforcement agencies to dismantle organised criminal syndicates involved in cross-border drug trafficking.
“Through these two major seizures, 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 said.
According to the NDLEA, the Canadian Loud seizure followed months of intelligence gathering conducted by the agency’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 explained that the traffickers used sophisticated international maritime routes in an attempt to evade detection, but surveillance teams successfully tracked the shipments before they arrived in Nigeria. The first container, identified as CAAU 7569127, departed Toronto on April 16, 2026, travelled by rail to Montreal and was loaded onto the vessel Ghallow Express. It later passed through Tangier Med in Morocco before being transferred onto another vessel destined for Nigeria.
After arriving at Tin Can Island Port, the container was moved through the Global Bonded Terminal before reaching Apapa Port on June 10, where it was intercepted during a joint examination. The second container, HAMU 3246311, departed Montreal on May 1, was transferred through another international shipping route and eventually intercepted at Apapa Port on June 22 by waiting operatives.
Marwa stated that the agency’s work extends beyond intercepting illegal drugs. He said investigators would continue efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute those behind the trafficking operation while tracing and confiscating assets linked to the criminal enterprise.
“We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our nation. 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 whatsoever from their illegal enterprise,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman commended officers of the agency, the Nigeria Customs Service and other participating security organisations for their professionalism throughout the operation. He said the successful interception highlights the importance of intelligence sharing, international cooperation and coordinated enforcement efforts in combating transnational organised crime.
The latest Canadian Loud seizure underscores the growing collaboration between Nigerian and international law enforcement agencies in tackling illicit drug trafficking. NDLEA says investigations will continue to identify everyone connected to the shipment while pursuing the financial networks that support organised drug trafficking operations.
