Apapa Customs, NDLEA Open 2026 with 30kg Cocaine Seizure Hidden on Foreign Vessel
Kathy Kyari
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun the 2026 operational year with a decisive strike against international drug trafficking, intercepting 30 slabs of cocaine weighing 30.1 kilograms at the Apapa Port, Lagos.
The seizure, carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), involved cocaine concealed onboard MV Aruna, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel berthed at the Greenview Terminal.
The interception took place on Friday, January 2, 2026 — the first working day of the new year, highlighting what authorities described as heightened vigilance at the nation’s busiest seaport.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Isah Suleiman, the illicit substance was said to have been carefully hidden aboard the vessel, underscoring the increasingly sophisticated methods deployed by smugglers to evade detection.
Commending the officers involved, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the operation as a product of effective intelligence sharing and strong inter-agency cooperation.
“This achievement reflects the strong inter-agency synergy between federal government entities and our commitment to intelligence-led enforcement,” Oshoba stated. “While criminal elements seek to outsmart us, our officers remain one step ahead, ensuring no smuggling attempt, whether disguised as import, export, or transit cargo, succeeds under my watch.”
Oshoba further described the interception as a bold signal of the command’s posture for the year, reaffirming a zero-tolerance stance against illicit trade at the port. In line with established procedures, the seized cocaine has been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and possible prosecution of suspects linked to the shipment.
The latest operation marks the third major drug seizure recorded by the joint NCS–NDLEA team in recent weeks. Barely two weeks earlier, the agencies intercepted 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in five bags aboard another vessel, acting on actionable intelligence.
Similarly, on December 11, 2025, operatives uncovered 1,187 kilograms of “Canadian Loud”—a premium and high-value strain of cannabis—packaged in 2,374 parcels across 55 bags. The drugs were concealed within imported vehicles stuffed inside a 40-foot container.
Reiterating the command’s mandate, Comptroller Oshoba assured stakeholders that the Apapa Area Command remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining robust controls to safeguard national security and prevent Nigeria’s ports from being used as conduits for transnational crime.
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