By Attah Ede
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Wednesday uncovered a massive consignment of illicit drugs worth over ₦10.4 billion at Tican Island Lagos.
The agency said it intercepted 4,173.5 kilograms of “Canadian Loud,” a high-potency strain of cannabis, after a painstaking, intelligence-led operation that spanned more than two months and involved multiple international partners.
According to NDLEA, the shipment departed Toronto on March 28, 2026, and was transported by rail to Montreal before being shipped to Tanger Med Port in Morocco and was later reloaded onto another vessel bound for Lagos, where it arrived on May 9.
Unknown to the traffickers, the consignment had been under close surveillance by NDLEA’s Marine Intelligence Unit and the Tincan Island Strategic Command, working in collaboration with the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The operation culminated on May 12 during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.
Furthermore, the drugs were professionally concealed inside two vehicles—a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300—loaded within the container in a bid to evade detection.
The seizure comes barely days after another major operation in Lekki, Lagos, where NDLEA recovered 2,326 kilograms of similar substances valued at over ₦5.8 billion from a mansion used as a stash house, raising concerns about a coordinated attempt by international drug syndicates to flood Nigeria with synthetic cannabis.
Reacting to this breakthrough, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa stated the latest interception was a strong signal that authorities are closing in on transnational drug networks exploiting Nigeria’s ports.
General Marwa acknowledged the synergy between NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and global partners.
He assured that the agency would continue to pursue and dismantle every link in the illicit drug supply chain.
The bust highlights both the scale of the threat and the increasing sophistication of trafficking operations, as Nigeria’s ports remain a critical frontline in the fight against global narcotics networks globally.
