By Stephen Simon
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 40-foot container loaded with 4,959 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of ₦12.397 billion at the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos. The agency also arrested a businesswoman for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The seizure was made during a joint examination of the container by officers of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies after more than four weeks of intelligence-led surveillance. The illicit consignment was concealed in 195 large sacks inside a container that also carried two vehicles.
According to the NDLEA, the shipment was tracked from Toronto, Canada, where it departed on April 25, before arriving at the Lagos port. The agency described the operation as a major breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking networks operating through Nigeria.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, identified as Iwebema Ogechi Peace, at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the MMIA while she was preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China. A search of her luggage allegedly uncovered 7.5 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a professionally constructed false bottom of her suitcase.
The agency also announced the dismantling of a syndicate accused of planting illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at motor parks. The operation followed the interception of a commercial bus travelling from Anambra State to the Federal Capital Territory, leading to further investigations and arrests.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the latest seizures underscore the agency’s resolve to strengthen intelligence-led operations and collaboration with other security agencies in combating drug trafficking across the country. He reiterated that those involved in the illicit drug trade would continue to face the full weight of the law.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the country from the menace of illicit drugs, noting that sustained surveillance, intelligence gathering and inter-agency cooperation remain critical to disrupting drug trafficking syndicates and safeguarding public safety.
