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 follows a similar interception on April 30, 2026, when authorities confiscated 1,540 kg of “Ghanaian Loud” cannabis and 6.4 kg of cocaine and methamphetamine in the same corridor. Officials say the back-to-back busts point to a deliberate push by criminal syndicates to exploit Nigerian ports, but also to improved intelligence-sharing between agencies.

A Pattern of Pressure and Response

The Tincan Island Port, one of Nigeria’s busiest maritime gateways, has become a focal point in the country’s anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics campaign. Customs officials attribute the recent successes to real-time intelligence collaboration and physical examinations triggered by risk profiling.

Onyeka said the command would “intensify surveillance, deepen intelligence gathering, and sustain collaboration” with the NDLEA and other security agencies. He also issued a warning to insider collaborators, stating that “no matter how long it takes, such individuals will be tracked down and dealt with according to the law.”

The NDLEA is expected to take custody of the seized drugs for further investigation and prosecution. At the briefing, Onyeka credited Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.) for a partnership agreement that he said had strengthened inter-agency operations.

Signal to Criminal Networks, Test for Institutions

The back-to-back seizures arrive at a sensitive moment for Nigeria’s port reforms. The federal government’s National Single Window platform, launched in March, aims to streamline trade and reduce port bottlenecks. But the persistence of high-value drug shipments highlights the dual challenge of modernizing trade facilitation while closing security gaps.

For law enforcement, the message is clear: surveillance and collaboration are yielding results. For policymakers, the recurring attempts to use Nigerian ports as drug conduits raise questions about the resilience of port security systems and the need to extend enforcement beyond seizures to prosecution and network disruption.

“Let the message be clear,” Onyeka said. “We are watching, we are working, and we will continue to frustrate every attempt to use our ports for illegal importation.”

The items were formally handed over to the NDLEA at the conclusion of the briefing.