Nigeria Customs Service Apapa Command and NDLEA jointly intercepted 30 slabs of cocaine weighing 30.1kg concealed aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged MV Aruna at Greenview Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos on January 2, 2026. Customs Area Controller Emmanuel Oshoba hailed the first-working-day triumph as a "bold 2026 statement" against sophisticated smuggling tactics targeting Nigeria's busiest seaport.
Risk assessment profiling and intelligence led to scanning and thorough searches uncovering the expertly hidden narcotics, marking the third major joint bust in recent weeks following Brazil-linked vessel seizures. NDLEA took custody for forensic analysis, investigations, and prosecution, underscoring inter-agency synergy mirroring Army Delta raids and Oyo arrests combating crime waves.
The operation disrupts international cartels exploiting Apapa's transit cargo volume, echoing U.S. narco-terrorism charges against Venezuela's Maduro and global scrutiny fueling Shehu Sani's travel ban warnings. No arrests reported yet, but vessel scrutiny and crew profiling intensify amid rising maritime threats.
Oshoba reaffirmed zero-tolerance, praising officers' vigilance amid 2026's insecurity surge from Edo kidnappings to Rivers political fires, positioning port security as national lifeline. The haul prevents street-level distribution, bolstering Tinubu's reforms against syndicates paralleling Uzbekistan's tourism push and Iran's desert hubs.