By Gabriel Ameh
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a massive consignment of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at over N10.4 billion at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos.
The illicit shipment, weighing 4,173.5 kilograms, was uncovered following months of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and international collaboration involving security agencies in Nigeria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
According to the NDLEA, the container departed Toronto, Canada, on March 28, 2026, before being transported by rail to Montreal, where it was loaded onto a cargo vessel bound for Morocco. The shipment later arrived in Lagos aboard another vessel on May 9, 2026.
The agency disclosed that its Marine Intelligence Unit and the Tincan Island Strategic Command monitored the shipment for over two months before successfully intercepting it during a joint inspection involving the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on May 12.
Investigations revealed that the drugs were professionally concealed inside a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300 vehicle hidden within the shipping container.
The latest seizure comes just days after NDLEA operatives raided a mansion in Lekki, Lagos, where 2,326 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance valued at over N5.8 billion were recovered.
Speaking during the handover of the seized drugs, NDLEA Director of Seaports Operations, ACG Ibinabo ArchieAbia, described the operation as a major breakthrough against transnational drug trafficking.
He noted that the success was made possible through strong inter-agency cooperation, intelligence sharing, and support from international partners, including the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and vigilance.
Marwa warned that international drug syndicates were making coordinated attempts to flood Nigeria with synthetic cannabis but assured that the agency would continue to dismantle illicit drug supply networks across the country.
He stressed that NDLEA would sustain collaboration with local and international partners to ensure those behind the shipments are identified and prosecuted.
