Written by
Ishioma Appiah-Yeboah
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 4,959 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of ₦12.397 billion, following a coordinated intelligence-led operation at the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos.
The seizure was made on Wednesday, June 23, 2026, during a joint examination of a 40-foot container by officers of the NDLEA’s Apapa Strategic Command, the Nigeria Customs Service, other security agencies, and port stakeholders.
According to a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Femi Babafemi, the container concealed 195 large sacks of the illicit drug alongside a Ford and a Nissan vehicle.
The NDLEA disclosed that operatives from two of its Special Operations Units had tracked the shipment for more than four weeks before it was intercepted.
The agency said surveillance began on April 25, 2026, when the container departed Toronto, Canada. It was transported by truck to Montreal before being moved by rail on April 29.
The shipment later passed through Tangier Med Port in Morocco on May 11, was transferred to another vessel on May 23, and arrived at Tin Can Port in Lagos on June 4, where it was discharged the following day.
The container was subsequently moved to Apapa Port on Monday, June 22, where it remained under close monitoring until officers carried out the joint inspection that led to the discovery of the massive drug consignment.
The NDLEA described the operation as another major breakthrough in its sustained crackdown on transnational drug trafficking, noting that the successful interception reflects enhanced intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and continuous surveillance of high-risk shipments entering the country.