The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multi-billion-naira shipments of Methamphetamine and “Loud,” a potent synthetic cannabis strain, concealed in auto parts imported from Canada and destined for distribution during the festive season.
The operation, which followed months of intelligence tracking across three continents, culminated in arrests and recoveries at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos.
In a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, the agency revealed that for the first time in its history, two separate methamphetamine consignments totaling 83.3kg were recovered from containers carrying vehicles and auto parts.
The shipments, heading to warehouses at the Ladipo Auto Market in Lagos, were intercepted on December 12 and 13, 2024.
During the examination of one container on December 12 at the Sifax Bonded Terminal, 5.001kg of methamphetamine, concealed in a bag wrapped in a bedsheet and transported in a Toyota Camry, was seized, leading to the arrest of businessman Isaac Onwumere.
A subsequent search of another container on December 13 revealed 1,735 parcels of Loud weighing 867.5kg and 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg, hidden in jumbo bags and plastic coolers.
Two businessmen, Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe, were arrested in connection with the shipment.
The seized drugs have an estimated street value of over ₦2.29 billion.
The Loud shipment alone is worth ₦2.17 billion, while the methamphetamine is valued at ₦124.95 million.
In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives at the Onne Port intercepted 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth ₦4.45 billion in street value.
The consignments, shipped from India, were seized during joint examinations on December 9, 11, and 13, 2024.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers for their diligence, warning drug barons and cartels that the agency’s robust intelligence network is capable of tracking shipments long before arrival in Nigeria.
“These seizures are proof of NDLEA’s capacity to disrupt criminal trade. Drug cartels will continue to suffer heavy losses unless they abandon this illicit business,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness campaigns, conducting sensitization programs in schools, worship centers, and communities nationwide.
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