NDLEA Strikes Hard, Intercepts Multi-Billion Naira Cannabis Shipment In Lagos

The agency said the seized shipment has an estimated street value of ₦10.43 billion.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the agency, the operation followed sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tracking of the container, which originated from Toronto, Canada.

The container reportedly departed Toronto on March 28, was transported by rail to Montreal, and later loaded onto a vessel named Jakarta Express Voyage.

It was then transshipped at Tanger Med Port in Morocco on April 15, where it was offloaded and reloaded onto another vessel, Osaka Voyage, before arriving at the Lagos Port on May 9, 2026.

The NDLEA said the consignment was discovered and seized on Tuesday, May 12, during a joint examination involving its operatives, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.

Drugs Concealed in Vehicles

The agency further disclosed that the illicit drugs were hidden inside two vehicles—a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300—concealed within the shipping container.

The Director of NDLEA Seaports Operations, ACG Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the operation as a demonstration of effective inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration.

She said the success highlighted the importance of intelligence-led operations in tackling transnational drug trafficking and organised crime.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the Tin Can Island Command and the Marine Intelligence Unit for their professionalism and vigilance.

He noted that the scale of recent seizures indicated a coordinated effort by international drug syndicates to flood Nigeria with high-potency cannabis strains.

Marwa stated that the latest interception, coming shortly after another major bust, sends a strong warning to drug cartels attempting to exploit Nigerian ports.

He reaffirmed that collaboration between the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service, and international partners such as the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, UK agencies, and the US DEA is yielding significant results.

“We will not rest until every link in this supply chain is dismantled and those responsible are brought to justice,” he said.