How NDLEA, Customs intercept N10.4bn cannabis shipment at Tin Can port

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday,  took over 4,173.5 kilograms of cannabis indica valued  at over N10.4 billion, intercepted through a joint operation involving the agency and the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, at the Tin Can seaport in Lagos.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics,  Archieabia Ogboba, disclosed that the traffickers adopted multiple shipping routes in an attempt to evade security checks and frustrate security agencies from tracking the consignment.

According to her, “The criminals intended to distort and frustrate law enforcement from monitoring their deadly container by creating multiple layers of movement. 

The container originated from Toronto by truck on March 28, 2026, and was further conveyed by rail to Montreal before it was loaded onboard vessel Jakarta Express Voyage from Montreal.

“It arrived at Tanger Med Port on April 15, 2026, where it was discharged and reloaded onto vessel, Osaka Voyage, before arriving at Tin Can seaport on May 9, 2026.”

Ogboba explained that the illicit consignment was successfully tracked through sustained intelligence gathering and international collaboration involving the NDLEA Marine Intelligence Unit and foreign partners, including Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

She described the seizure as “an auspicious event where Nigeria is being defended from the daring and wicked activities of criminal merchants, who are more concerned with profiteering than with the lives, health, and wellbeing of innocent citizens.”

Ogboba said the illicit drugs, alongside vehicles used as conveyances, would proceed through the necessary legal processes for final forfeiture in accordance with the law.

According to her, “The seizure is humongous, a total of 4,173.5kg of cannabis indica worth over N10.4 billion in street value. The interception of this large cache of illicit substances by the Nigerian security architecture at the seaports is highly commendable.”

She commended officers involved in the operation, describing them as “effective and patriotic gatekeepers in ensuring the safety and security of our maritime corridors.”

She also praised the professionalism and cooperation of sister agencies, particularly the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigeria Customs Service, during the joint examination that led to the recovery.

Earlier in his handover address, Comptroller of Tin Can Island Customs Command, Frank Onyema, said the illicit substances, which were packed in over 100 travelling bags, were concealed inside a 40-foot container originating from Canada, whose contents were declared as vehicles only.

According to him, “Exactly two weeks ago, on April 30, 2026, we gathered to brief the public on a major interception made through intelligence and cooperation between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA. Today, we are back here for yet another significant seizure.

“The container, which originated from Canada just like the previous one, was found to contain 8,347 packages of cannabis indica weighing 4,173.5 kilograms,” he said, describing the seizure as a deliberate attempt by criminal elements to undermine national security and destroy the lives of Nigerian youths for profit.