NDLEA seizes N3.3bn meth, cannabis hidden in auto parts from Canada

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in auto spare parts imported from Canada.

The seized drugs, valued at over N3.3 billion, were reportedly intended for distribution during the festive season. The operation, conducted at the Tincan seaport in Lagos, followed months of intelligence tracking across three continents.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, disclosed that the agency recovered two methamphetamine consignments weighing 83.301 kilograms on December 12 and 13, 2024.

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The shipments, hidden in containers carrying vehicles and spare parts, were headed to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile market in Lagos.

“For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine…were recovered from separate containers,” the statement read. “One of the containers examined on December 12 contained 5.001kg of methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in a bedsheet inside a Toyota Camry. A businessman, Isaac Onwumere, linked to the consignment, was promptly arrested.”

The second container, inspected the following day, held 1,735 parcels of Loud weighing 867.5kg, along with six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. Two businessmen, Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe, were arrested in alleged connection with the seizure.

The NDLEA estimated the street value of the meth consignments at N124.95 million, while the 867.5kg Loud was worth over N2.16 billion. The seizures were made during a joint operation involving Customs and other port stakeholders.

The agency detailed the months-long tracking of the shipments, which originated in Canada. The first container, flagged on October 4, 2024, in Toronto, was monitored through various stages, including its transit through Montreal, Belgium’s Antwerp port, and its eventual arrival in Lagos on December 1. The second shipment followed a similar route.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA also intercepted 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.45 billion at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Rivers State. The seizures, made on December 9, 11, and 13, involved shipments from India and were carried out in collaboration with Customs and other security agencies.

The NDLEA emphasized that these operations were part of its intensified efforts to curb drug trafficking and prevent illicit substances from saturating the market during the holiday season.