Hidden in Luxury Cars, Exposed by Intelligence: TinCan Customs, NDLEA Crush ₦16.6bn Cannabis Smuggling Plot
Hidden in Luxury Cars, Exposed by Intelligence: TinCan Customs, NDLEA Crush ₦16.6bn Cannabis Smuggling Plot
By Success Okezie
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have stepped up their collaborative offensive against transnational drug trafficking rings after intercepting a massive shipment of 4,173.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Indica at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
With an estimated street value of about ₦16.6 billion, the seizure reveals the continued efforts of international criminal networks to use Nigerian seaports as entry points for illicit drugs. Despite tighter surveillance and increased inter-agency operations, the scale of the consignment shows that these syndicates remain determined to test the country’s port security. Officials described the interception as evidence that heightened vigilance and intelligence-driven collaboration are beginning to yield tangible results.
The CAC revealed that the illicit drugs were concealed inside a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300, both imported in a 40-foot container from Canada. Preliminary investigations showed the traffickers had carefully hidden the substances within the vehicles to avoid detection during standard port examinations.
Speaking during the inspection and formal handover of the seized consignment, the Customs Area Controller for Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, said the successful interception was the result of intelligence sharing and coordinated surveillance between Customs officers and NDLEA operatives.
Comptroller Onyeka explained that container HAMU 247034/8 was identified and flagged by the Enforcement Unit after intelligence reports pointed to suspicious activity linked to the shipment.
On closer inspection, officers carried out a detailed physical examination of the container, which uncovered 8,347 packages of Cannabis Indica concealed inside the imported vehicles.
The Tin Can Island Port Command said the operation highlights how drug trafficking networks are becoming increasingly desperate and refined in their smuggling methods, prompting security agencies to maintain heightened vigilance.
“Only two weeks ago, we made a similar interception involving 4,729 kilogrammes of cannabis,” Onyeka noted. “The fact that these attempts keep recurring shows that criminal networks are still determined to exploit Nigeria’s ports and push dangerous drugs into the country.”
He emphasized that the Command would intensify its cargo profiling, strengthen surveillance systems, and expand intelligence-driven operations to frustrate traffickers using the maritime corridor.
Onyeka added that the Service is now deploying more advanced risk assessment tools and deepening collaboration with other security agencies to detect and stop suspicious shipments before they reach the domestic market.
He also issued a clear warning that anyone found working with these criminal syndicates—including insiders operating within the port—would be prosecuted without exception and face the full consequences of the law.
Onyeka stressed that the damage caused by the illicit drug trade extends far beyond financial losses, as it poses a direct threat to national security and the future of Nigeria’s youth. He warned that the spread of substance abuse continues to drive crime and deepen social instability across the country.
He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for backing closer cooperation between agencies, and acknowledged NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa for sustaining strong intelligence-sharing in the ongoing anti-drug campaign.
Speaking while taking custody of the seized consignment, NDLEA Director of Seaport Operations, Ibinabo ArchieAbia, said the container had been under surveillance for months before it reached Lagos. She noted that the shipment began in Toronto, Canada, passed through Montreal, and transited Tanger Med Port in Morocco before making its way to Nigeria.
ArchieAbia explained that the operation was led by the NDLEA Marine Intelligence Unit and the Tin Can Strategic Command, with backing from international law enforcement partners such as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the UK Home Office International Operations.
She noted that the success of the interception highlights how vital intelligence sharing and cross-border cooperation are in breaking up international drug trafficking networks.
According to her, Nigerian security agencies are broadening their partnerships with foreign counterparts to monitor and intercept illicit shipments as they move along global shipping routes.
She also confirmed that the seized consignment would be sent for forensic analysis and further investigation to trace and prosecute everyone involved in the operation.
ArchieAbia added that work was already in progress to identify the financiers, freight handlers, and local collaborators linked to the illegal importation.
This bust marks another in a series of major drug seizures at Nigerian ports in recent months, underscoring the intensified efforts by anti-narcotic agencies to stem the flow of illicit substances into the country.
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