Nigeria seizes $12.4 million cannabis shipment at Lagos Port, foils drug syndicate

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a massive shipment of illicit drugs at the Apapa Port in Lagos, seizing a 40-foot container packed with 4,959 kilograms of "Canadian Loud," a potent strain of cannabis. The street value of the confiscated cannabis is estimated at N12.397 billion, approximately $12.4 million USD.

The significant seizure followed over four weeks of intelligence-led surveillance. The container, which also held a Ford and a Nissan vehicle, had been monitored since April 25, when it departed Toronto, Canada. Its complex transit route included a truck journey to Montreal, a rail passage, a stop at the Tanger Med Port in Morocco, and finally, a sea voyage.

In a separate operation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, as she attempted to board a flight to Beijing, China. She was found with 7.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a false bottom of her suitcase. The suspect, who claimed to frequently travel to China for business, was apprehended in the departure hall.

The agency also revealed the dismantling of a syndicate accused of planting illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at motor parks. This operation led to the interception of a Sienna bus traveling from Nnewi, resulting in the recovery of methamphetamine hidden in a package. Subsequent arrests included the intended recipient and bus loaders involved in the scheme.