Marwa Hails Customs Partnership as NDLEA Takes Over 6.8 Tonnes of Cannabis
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has formally taken custody of 6,778.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos in what the agency described as a major victory against transnational drug trafficking networks.
The illicit consignment was seized during a joint examination of two containers by NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies following months of intelligence-driven investigations.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Apapa Port on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the operation as a landmark achievement made possible through strong inter-agency collaboration.
Marwa said the seizures, recorded on June 15 and June 24, 2026, send a strong warning to organised criminal groups involved in international drug trafficking.
“Through these 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,” he said.
According to him, the operation was coordinated by the NDLEA 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 drug syndicates employed sophisticated maritime routes across several continents to evade detection, but intelligence surveillance enabled security agencies to track and intercept the shipments before they entered the illicit market.
Marwa explained that one of the containers departed Toronto on April 16 and was transported by rail to Montreal before being shipped through Morocco to Nigeria, while the second container left Montreal on May 1 and followed a separate trans-shipment route before arriving in Lagos.
He stressed that the agency would go beyond confiscating illicit drugs by targeting the financial networks sustaining drug trafficking.
“We remain resolute. 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 stated.
The NDLEA boss commended the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies for their professionalism, dedication and intelligence-sharing, describing the successful operation as proof of the effectiveness of inter-agency and international cooperation in combating organised crime.
He added that the latest seizure reinforces the government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime gateways from criminal exploitation and preventing dangerous narcotics from reaching communities across the country.
