Nigeria Customs, NDLEA Intercept $11M Cannabis Shipment at Tincan Port, Citing Rising Port Smuggling Threats
By Lod Onyeji LAGOS — For the second time in two weeks, Nigeria’s Federal Operations Unit at Tincan Island Port has intercepted a massive shipment of cannabis smuggled in from Canada, underscoring both the persistence of transnational drug networks and the intensifying collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). On May 14, 2026, Customs officers, acting on joint intelligence with the NDLEA, opened a 40-foot container labeled HAMU 247034/8 and discovered 8,347 packages of Cannabis Indica. The haul weighed 4,173.5 kilograms and carries an estimated street value of ₦16.69 billion, or roughly $11 million, according to the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller F.O. Onyeka. “This is not just another seizure,” Onyeka told reporters at a briefing in Apapa. “This represents a deliberate attempt by criminal elements to jeopardize national security, endanger lives, and profit from the destruction of our young people.” The seizure fo...
