A joint operation by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Tin Can Island Port Command and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 8,347 packages of cannabis indica weighing 4,173.5 kilograms. Authorities estimate the street value of the haul at roughly N16.6 billion. The seizure follows a similar interdiction two weeks earlier, when 9,450 packages of cannabis – 4,729 kg – valued at N18.96 billion were confiscated.
The latest operation centred on a 40‑foot container – marked HAMU 247034/8 – that arrived from Canada. During a physical inspection, customs officers discovered the narcotics concealed inside a used Ford bus and a Mercedes‑Benz C300 that had been stowed in the container. The container’s journey was traced from Toronto, where it left on a truck on 28 March, to Montreal by rail, then onto the vessel Jakarta Express bound for Tanger Med. After discharge at Tanger Med on 15 April, the cargo was re‑loaded onto the Osaka and arrived at Tin Can Island Port on 9 May.
Comptroller Frank Onyeka, Customs Area Controller for Tin Can Island, said the interception was possible because of “credible intelligence” shared between the customs and NDLEA teams. He underscored that the operation demonstrates both the persistence of criminal networks seeking to exploit Nigerian ports and the vigilance of security agencies committed to halting such activity.
“The seizure highlights the desperation of traffickers to use our ports as entry points for dangerous substances,” Onyeka told reporters as the seized cannabis was handed over to NDLEA Director of Seaport Operations, Assistant Comptroller General Ibinabo Archieabia. “It also shows that our officers and partner agencies remain alert, focused and fully committed to stopping them.”
Archieabia described the hand‑over as a “historic moment” and affirmed that the confiscated cannabis will undergo the full legal process for final forfeiture. She noted that the operation was the result of months of coordinated intelligence gathering, surveillance and tracking of the shipment from its point of origin in Canada to its arrival in Lagos. The director praised the officers involved as “effective and patriotic gatekeepers” of the nation’s maritime corridors.
Both officials praised the renewed memorandum of understanding between the NCS and NDLEA, citing the recent successes as evidence of the partnership’s effectiveness. Onyeka warned that anyone colluding with foreign criminal syndicates would face the full force of the law, while the NDLEA reaffirmed its uncompromising mandate to eradicate narcotics and protect Nigeria’s future generations.
The twin interceptions, together amounting to more than N35 billion in estimated street value, underscore the heightened focus on drug‑trafficking routes through the country’s seaports. Officials said surveillance and intelligence efforts will be intensified, with an emphasis on not only seizing contraband but also arresting and prosecuting the individuals behind the shipments.
As Nigeria continues to confront the scourge of illicit drug trade, the collaborative actions of customs and drug enforcement agencies are being positioned as a vital line of defense for national security and public health. The outcomes of these operations are expected to inform future strategies aimed at safeguarding the nation’s borders and maritime trade channels.
