Listen to story here
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tincan Island Port Command, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted 4,173.5 kilograms of Cannabis Indica concealed in a 40-foot container at Tincan Port, Lagos.
Addressing journalists during a joint press briefing on Wednesday, the Customs Area Controller of Tincan Island Port Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, disclosed that the illicit consignment, packed in 8,347 parcels, has an estimated street value of N16.694 billion.
Onyeka said the seizure followed credible intelligence jointly gathered by the NCS and NDLEA, leading to the interception and detailed examination of container number HAMU 247034/8, which originated from Canada.
He noted that the interception came barely two weeks after a similar seizure announced on April 30, stressing that criminal syndicates were still attempting to use Nigerian ports to smuggle dangerous substances into the country.
“This tells us two things. First, criminal networks are still desperate to use our ports to push dangerous substances into the country. Second, it shows that our officers and sister security agencies are alert, focused and fully committed to stopping them,” he said.
Describing the seizure as a deliberate attempt to undermine national security and endanger Nigerians, particularly youths, Onyeka assured that the command would intensify surveillance, strengthen intelligence gathering and sustain collaboration with relevant agencies to ensure more interceptions.
“We are also determined to go beyond seizures. Those behind these shipments will be identified, traced, arrested and prosecuted,” he added, warning insiders aiding smuggling operations that the command would not spare anyone found compromising national security.
The Comptroller commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, for strengthening inter-agency collaboration against illicit drug trafficking.
During the handover ceremony, the NDLEA Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archiea Abia Ogoba, described the interception as a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational drug trafficking.
She revealed that the operation followed months of intelligence gathering, surveillance and strategic tracking involving NDLEA operatives and international partners, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
According to her, the container originated from Toronto, Canada, on March 28, 2026, moved through multiple routes before arriving at Tincan Port on May 9 in an apparent attempt to evade security detection.
Ogoba praised the cooperation among the Nigerian Ports Authority, Customs and other security agencies, noting that the latest seizure reaffirmed the effectiveness of intelligence-driven collaboration in combating organised crime.
The seized Cannabis Indica was subsequently handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.
