By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified efforts against transnational drug trafficking syndicates following the interception of 4,173.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Indica at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.
The latest seizure, valued at about ₦16.6 billion, has further exposed attempts by international criminal networks to use Nigerian seaports as entry points for illicit drugs despite increased surveillance by security agencies.
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NCS disclosed that the banned substances were hidden inside a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300 vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container from Canada. Investigations revealed that the traffickers carefully concealed the drugs in an apparent attempt to evade detection during routine port checks.
Addressing journalists during the inspection and handover of the seized consignment at the port, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, said the interception was achieved through intelligence sharing and coordinated surveillance carried out by Customs officers and NDLEA operatives.
Compt.Onyeka said the container marked HAMU 247034/8 was flagged by the Enforcement Unit after intelligence reports linked it to suspicious activities.
He explained that Officers subjected the container to detailed physical examination, leading to the discovery of 8,347 packages of Cannabis Indica concealed within the imported vehicles.
Tin can Island Customs described the seizure as another indication that drug trafficking syndicates were becoming more desperate and sophisticated in their methods.
“Just two weeks ago, we recorded a similar seizure involving 4,729 kilogrammes of cannabis. The recurrence indicates that criminal elements remain determined to compromise the nation’s ports and flood the country with dangerous substances,” he said.
Onyeka tressed that the Command would ontinue to strengthen cargo profiling, surveillance and intelligence-driven enforcement to frustrate the activities of traffickers operating through the maritime corridor.
He added that the Service was deploying advanced risk assessment strategies and closer inter-agency collaboration to detect suspicious shipments before they enter the domestic market.
Onyeka warned that anyone found collaborating with criminal syndicates, including insiders within the port environment, would face the full weight of the law.
He further noted that beyond the economic implications, the illicit trade posed a serious threat to national security and the wellbeing of Nigerian youth, warning that substance abuse continued to fuel crime and social instability across the country.
The CAC commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for supporting stronger inter-agency cooperation, as well as the leadership of the NDLEA under Buba Marwa for sustaining intelligence partnerships in the anti-drug campaign.
Receiving the seized exhibits, NDLEA Director of Seaport Operations, Ibinabo ArchieAbia, disclosed that the container had been under close monitoring for months before its arrival in Lagos.
She explained that the shipment originated from Toronto, Canada, before moving through Montreal and later passing through Tanger Med Port in Morocco en route to Nigeria.
According to her, “the operation was coordinated by the NDLEA Marine Intelligence Unit and the Tin Can Strategic Command with support from international law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations.”
ArchieAbia said the successful interception underscored the importance of intelligence sharing and global cooperation in disrupting international drug trafficking operations.
She added that security agencies were expanding collaboration with foreign partners to track the movement of illicit consignments across international shipping routes.
She further disclosed that the seized consignment would undergo forensic examination and further investigation as authorities move to identify and prosecute all those connected to the shipment.
ArchieAbia efforts were already underway to uncover the financiers, freight handlers and local collaborators linked to the illegal importation.
The latest interception adds to a growing list of major drug seizures recorded at Nigerian ports in recent months, highlighting intensified enforcement efforts by anti-narcotic agencies to curb the inflow of illicit substances into the country.
