Cocaine Bust Kicks Off 2026: Customs and NDLEA Seize 30.1kg at Apapa Port

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Nigeria’s port security agencies have started the new year with a bang, intercepting 30.1 kilograms of cocaine at the Apapa Port, Lagos, on January 2, 2026.

The joint operation by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) discovered the drugs concealed onboard the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, MV Aruna, at the Greenview Terminal.

Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, praised the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement and inter-agency collaboration, warning that Apapa Port remains hostile terrain for smugglers.

“This seizure sends a clear message that there will be no hiding place for illicit cargo, whether in import, export, or transit shipments,” he said .

The cocaine has been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.

This bust is the third major drug interception recorded by the joint NCS-NDLEA team in recent weeks, following earlier seizures of 25.5kg of cocaine and 1,187kg of “Canadian Loud” cannabis.

Would you like to know more about Nigeria’s efforts to combat drug trafficking or the impact of this seizure on the country’s economy?

By Esther Komolafe