The Tincan Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted and handed over a massive shipment of illicit drugs valued at N16.7 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The interception was the result of a highly successful, joint intelligence-led operation conducted at the port.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony, the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, noted that this seizure occurred exactly two weeks after a similar drug bust, highlighting both the relentless determination of criminal elements to exploit Nigeria’s seaports and the heightened vigilance of collaborating security agencies.
The operation targeted a 40-foot container, marked number HAMU 247034/8, which had originated from Toronto, Canada.
Acting on credible intelligence shared between the NCS and the NDLEA, officers subjected the container to a thorough physical examination.
Inside, they discovered 8,347 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing a total of 4,173.5 kilograms. The street value of the confiscated narcotics is estimated at N16.694 billion.
Comptroller Onyeka emphasized that the bust was a major victory against criminal gangs attempting to undermine national security and profit from the destruction of Nigerian youths.
According to the NDLEA, the successful bust was the culmination of months of meticulous tracking. Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, Archieabia Ibinabo Ogboba, the NDLEA’s Director of Seaport Operations, revealed that the agency’s Marine Intelligence Unit had been working closely with foreign partners to monitor the container’s movement for nearly three months.
She explained that the traffickers had intentionally rerouted the shipment through multiple transits in a calculated attempt to evade security networks and frustrate law enforcement tracking.
The successful interception underscores a growing operational synergy between domestic security agencies and international partners.
Officials noted that the seamless intelligence sharing was vital in thwarting the sophisticated evasion tactics used by the drug cartel.
Following the conclusion of the handover ceremony, the illicit substances were officially transferred into the custody of the NDLEA for further investigation, profiling, and subsequent legal action against the perpetrators.
