The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted 30.1 kilograms of cocaine at the Apapa Port in Lagos, marking a significant start to enforcement activities in the new year.
The illicit drug, packaged in 30 slabs, was discovered aboard MV Aruna, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, at the Greenview Terminal on the first working day of the year. The seizure was confirmed in a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, and posted on the official X account of the Nigerian Customs Service on Saturday.
According to the statement, officers of the NCS Apapa Area Command, acting on credible intelligence, carried out the operation jointly with NDLEA personnel, successfully foiling what authorities described as a calculated attempt to smuggle cocaine through one of Nigeria’s busiest seaports.
The Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, commended the officers involved for their professionalism and vigilance. He said the interception demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement and the growing synergy between federal government agencies tasked with border security and narcotics control.
“This achievement reflects the strong inter-agency cooperation and our collective commitment to safeguarding the nation,” Oshoba said. “While criminal elements continue to devise new methods to outsmart the system, our officers remain one step ahead, ensuring that no smuggling attempt—whether disguised as import, export or transit cargo—succeeds under my watch.”
He added that the seizure underscored the command’s zero-tolerance stance on illicit trade in 2026, stressing that enforcement efforts would continue alongside the facilitation of legitimate trade to support the economy and protect national security.
In line with established protocols, the seized cocaine has been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and the prosecution of suspects connected to the shipment. No arrests were immediately announced, but officials said investigations were ongoing to trace those behind the consignment.
The statement noted that the latest interception represents the third major drug seizure recorded by the joint NCS–NDLEA team in recent weeks. Barely two weeks earlier, both agencies intercepted 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in five bags aboard another vessel, following actionable intelligence.
In a separate operation on 11 December 2025, the joint team also seized 1,187 kilograms of “Canadian Loud”, a high-grade strain of cannabis. The consignment, packed in 2,374 parcels across 55 bags, was hidden inside imported vehicles in a 40-foot container.
Authorities say the recent string of seizures highlights renewed pressure on drug trafficking networks using Nigerian ports and reinforces the resolve of enforcement agencies to disrupt the supply chain at the nation’s maritime gateways.
