Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized methamphetamine and Loud cannabis shipments worth billions of naira at the Tin Can Seaport in Lagos. The drugs, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, weighed 83.301 kilograms and were intended for distribution during the festive season.
Three businessmen, Emeka Nwanolue, Friday Ogbe, and Isaac Onwumere, were arrested in connection with the seizure. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that the operation followed months of intelligence tracking across three continents.
“This marks the first time the NDLEA has intercepted two consignments of methamphetamine, totaling 83.301 kilograms,” Babafemi said in a statement. He added that the shipments were destined for warehouses at the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin, Lagos.
The first container, examined on December 12, 2024, contained 5.001 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside a Toyota Camry. Onwumere, linked to the shipment, was arrested. The second container, inspected on December 13, held 1,735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags, weighing 867.5 kilograms, alongside six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine, weighing 78.3 kilograms. Nwanolue and Ogbe were apprehended in connection with the second shipment.
The seized drugs, valued at N2.3 billion in street value, included 867.5 kilograms of Loud, estimated at N2,168,750,000, and 83.301 kilograms of methamphetamine, worth N124,951,000.
Babafemi detailed the meticulous tracking that led to the seizure. The first shipment, flagged in Toronto on October 4, 2024, was monitored through its transit in Montreal, Antwerp, and finally Lagos, where it arrived on December 1. The second shipment, identified on October 8, followed a similar route and docked in Lagos on December 6.
In a related operation at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Rivers State, NDLEA officers intercepted 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.5 billion. The shipments, originating from India, were discovered during a joint examination by the NDLEA, customs officials, and other security agencies.
The NDLEA continues to strengthen its intelligence-driven operations to combat drug trafficking and ensure the safety of communities during the festive season and beyond.
