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By Steve Agbota
Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have intercepted 30 slabs of cocaine weighing 30.1 kilogrammes concealed onboard the MV Aruna, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel.
The cocaine was intercepted yesterday, which was the first working day of 2026, at the Greenview Terminal within Apapa Port, Lagos. The substance was carefully concealed aboard the ship.
The Customs Area Controller for Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, commended the officers from both agencies for their vigilance and professionalism.
“This achievement reflects the strong inter-agency synergy between federal government entities and our commitment to intelligence-led enforcement.
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“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,” he said. Oshoba described the interception as a bold statement for 2026, reaffirming the command’s zero-tolerance policy towards illicit trade.
In line with established protocols, the NDLEA has taken possession of the seized cocaine for further investigation and potential prosecution of those involved.
The latest bust was the third major drug interception by the joint NCS-NDLEA team in recent weeks. Barely two weeks ago, the agencies seized 25.5kg of cocaine concealed in five bags aboard another vessel based on intelligence.
Also, on December 11, 2025, the agencies also seized 1,187kg of ‘Canadian Loud’, a premium and highly expensive strain of cannabis, packaged in 2,374 parcels in 55 bags and concealed within imported vehicles in a 1x40feet container.
The Area Controller reiterated that the Apapa Port Command remains steady.
