SERC raises alarm as drug seizures hit N40bn at seaports

The Sea Empowerment & Research Centre has bemoaned the large volumes of illicit narcotics being intercepted at Nigeria’s seaports by the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Findings showed that 109,306.75 kilograms, equivalent to 109.3 tonnes of illicit drugs with an estimated street value of over N45bn, were intercepted at Nigeria’s seaports in the first half of 2026, underscoring the increasing use of the nation’s maritime gateways by international drug trafficking syndicates.

The group stressed that while these remarkable interceptions reflect improved intelligence gathering, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, and growing operational efficiency, they also expose an unsettling reality.

According to the group, “Transnational organised crime syndicates are increasingly exploiting maritime trade routes and containerised cargo to traffic illicit drugs through Nigerian ports.”

SERC stated this in its special mid-year maritime security & blue economy bulletin signed by the Head of Research, Eugene Nweke, obtained by The PidomNigeria.

It warned that beyond the criminal dimension, “persistent attempts to use Nigerian ports as transit corridors for narcotics could undermine the country’s international trade reputation, attract stricter destination-country inspections, increase cargo clearance delays, discourage investment, and elevate Nigeria’s global maritime risk profile.”

According to SEREC, drug trafficking through maritime channels also fuels money laundering, organised crime, corruption, insecurity and other illicit financial activities that threaten national economic stability.

It therefore calls for a transition from seizure-based enforcement to intelligence-led prevention through the deployment of artificial intelligence-driven cargo profiling, wider installation of non-intrusive cargo scanners, strengthened container tracking systems, deeper collaboration among the NCS, the NDLEA, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and other security agencies, and the full integration of the National Single Window to enhance information sharing and risk management.

“Nigeria’s ports must remain gateways for legitimate international commerce, not safe havens for transnational criminal enterprises,” SEREC said.

On Monday, Shipping Position Daily reported that the NDLEA seized 109,306.75 kilogrammes (109.3 tonnes) of illicit drugs, with an estimated street value exceeding N45bn, at Nigeria’s seaports during the first half of 2026. The report highlighted the growing exploitation of the country’s maritime gateways by international drug trafficking syndicates.

According to the report, findings, based on official first-quarter statistics obtained from the NDLEA and verified second-quarter seizure records released by the agency, showed that the anti-narcotics agency maintained sustained pressure on drug cartels operating through the country’s seaports, particularly Apapa, Tincan Island and Port Harcourt ports.

The analysis indicated that 98,354.75 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were intercepted between January and March, “while another 10,952 kilograms were seized through separate intelligence-led operations between April and June, bringing the total seizures for the first six months of the year to 109,306.75 kilograms.”

The report added that although the NDLEA did not publish an official cumulative street value for the half-year seizures, the intercepted consignments are worth well above N45bn, making the first half of 2026 one of the most successful periods in the agency’s maritime enforcement operations in recent years.

“A breakdown of the figures showed that Apapa Port remained Nigeria’s biggest drug interception point, accounting for 71,181.45 kilograms of illicit drugs during the first quarter alone. When the verified second-quarter seizures of 1,819.5 kilograms and 4,959 kilograms recorded at the port are added, the cumulative seizures at Apapa rise to 77,959.95 kilograms, representing more than 71 per cent of the total quantity intercepted during the period under review.

“The Port Harcourt Seaport Command followed with 25,635 kilograms, while Tincan Island Port recorded 1,538.30 kilograms during the first quarter and an additional 4,173.5 kilograms in May, bringing its cumulative seizures for the six-month period to 5,711.8 kilograms,” the report indicated.