Customs seizes N53.4b narcotics, fake NAFDAC-labelled drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday took custody of about 6,778.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud – a strain of cannabis – recently intercepted at the Apapa port in Lagos.
  
The illicit drug was intercepted during a joint examination of two containers by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), NDLEA and other security agencies.
   
Speaking during the formal takeover of the items from the Apapa Area Command of the NCS at the Apapa Port, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), described the seizure as a landmark moment in the history of inter-agency synergy in Nigeria. 
   
Marwa, who was represented by the Director of Seaport Operations, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the agencies sent a clear message, through two major seizures on June 15 and 24, 2026, that they are more determined than ever to dismantle organised criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigerian borders.
   
According to the agency, the seizures were the culmination of painstaking months of intelligence-led operation spearheaded by the NDLEA Special Investigation and Marine Intelligence units, working with the NCS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
   
Marwa noted that, to evade law enforcement, the international drug syndicates utilised highly complex maritime routes from Toronto, Canada, through Tangier Med in Morocco, using transshipments till they arrived at the Tin Can Island Port in Nigeria, and then to the Apapa Port.
   
However, he stated that the NDLEA surveillance officers were able to track the shipments across multiple continents before their successful interception.
   
Meanwhile, Marwa warned that the agency will not stop at mere confiscations but will aggressively go after the financial structures of the syndicates to ensure that traffickers derive no benefit from their illicit trade.
   
“We recognise that the staggering profits generated by illicit drug trafficking continue to fuel crimes against humanity and against our nation, despite the devastating toll they take on individuals, families and communities.” The NDLEA chief noted.
   
“As such, we remain resolute. Our work does not end with seizure. We are committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible, confiscating their criminal assets, and ensuring that they derive no benefit whatsoever from their illegal enterprise.”
   
Commending the synergy between the leaderships and personnel of the two agencies, Marwa praised the dedication, professionalism and courage of the officers and men of the NDLEA, NCS and all sister security agencies, who he said refused to look away and allow the dangerous substances to flood the communities.
   
Moreover, he attributed the success to the intelligence-sharing and operational synergy by every participating agency, adding, “It is a powerful demonstration of what inter-agency collaboration, international cooperation and intelligence-driven operations can achieve in the fight against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.”
   
Earlier, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adeniyi, displayed nine containers of imported expired pharmaceutical products, narcotic drugs, and medicines with fake NAFDAC labels intercepted at the Apapa Port, and worth N53.4 billion
   
He listed the nine seizures to include 3,639 parcels of Cannabis sativa (Canadian Loud) weighing 1819.5 kilogrammes, concealed in a 40ft container, alongside three imported vehicles and assorted automobile spare parts.
   
Among others, there was also another 9,918 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, weighing approximately 4.95 metric tonnes, which were concealed in a 40ft container, alongside two imported vehicles and household items.
   
Stating that all the items were intercepted for regulatory actions, Adeniyi noted that the consignments appeared legitimate at first glance, but that a detailed verification of the NAFDAC certificate presented by the declarant established that the products were not registered.
   
Consequently, the consignments were seized in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. According to Adeniyi, the seizures represented lives protected, families preserved, communities secured, and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines.