NDLEA Uncovers ₦12.4bn Canadian Loud Shipment Hidden in Vehicle Container at Lagos Port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a massive consignment of Canadian Loud, a high-potency strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of ₦12.4 billion, during a major anti-drug operation at the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos.

According to the agency, operatives recovered 4,959 kilograms of the illicit substance concealed inside a 40-foot shipping container that also contained imported Ford and Nissan vehicles. The seizure followed weeks of intelligence gathering and close surveillance carried out in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that the container had been under monitoring since it departed Toronto, Canada, on April 25, before passing through Montreal and Morocco en route to Nigeria. It was intercepted immediately after arriving at the Apapa Port.

The seizure formed part of a broader nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking. In a related operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, identified as Peace Iwebema Ogechi, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while she was preparing to board a flight to Beijing, China.

The agency said officers discovered 7.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a specially constructed false compartment inside her suitcase after acting on intelligence reports. The suspect reportedly told investigators she frequently travelled to China for business.

The anti-narcotics agency also announced additional operations across Lagos, Abuja and Anambra States, leading to the dismantling of a drug syndicate allegedly involved in planting narcotics in the luggage of unsuspecting interstate passengers, as well as the arrest of suspected traffickers found transporting large quantities of Tramadol and cannabis.

Commending officers involved in the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), urged personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s offensive against drug trafficking while intensifying public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing drug abuse.