By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud,” and seized two containers of expired pharmaceutical products with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over ₦12.78 billion in a series of intelligence-led operations aimed at combating illicit trade, drug trafficking and threats to public health.
The seizures, which were carried out through coordinated efforts involving the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), underscore the Federal Government’s intensified crackdown on transnational organised crime and the smuggling of prohibited items through the nation’s seaports.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Public Relations Officer of the Apapa Area Command, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the command acted on credible intelligence and advanced risk assessment mechanisms to intercept a 40-foot container loaded with a large quantity of Cannabis Sativa.
The statement disclosed that the container, identified as CAAU7569127, was intercepted on Monday, June 15, 2026, at about noon during a joint operation with the NDLEA.
A detailed examination of the container revealed 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grams, bringing the total weight of the seizure to approximately 1,819 kilograms or 1.81 tonnes.
Customs said preliminary field tests conducted on the substance confirmed it to be Cannabis Sativa.
Investigations further revealed that the drugs were carefully concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle and a Toyota Sienna, alongside several bags and drums packed within the container, in what officials described as a sophisticated attempt by smugglers to evade detection.
The command noted that the interception demonstrated its growing capacity to identify and dismantle increasingly complex smuggling networks exploiting Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
In a related operation, the command also intercepted two separate 40-foot containers laden with expired pharmaceutical products that were illegally imported into the country.
According to Customs, physical examinations showed that the drugs had expired between 2021 and 2023 and were allegedly intended to be relabelled and reintroduced into the Nigerian market.
Officials warned that the products posed serious health risks to consumers and could have found their way into hospitals, pharmacies and households across the country if not intercepted.
One of the containers, with number PCIU8771576, was found to contain expired pharmaceutical products including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.
The second container, identified as MRKU4961275, contained a range of expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Customs authorities said the combined Duty Paid Value of the seized cannabis and expired pharmaceuticals stood at ₦12,784,479,341.72, describing the attempted importation as a major case of economic sabotage and a threat to public health.
Speaking on the seizures, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, issued a stern warning to individuals and groups involved in smuggling and the importation of prohibited goods.
He said, “Unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress. We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them.
“Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising. Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage and public health endangerment.”
Oshoba stressed that the Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remained under constant surveillance, adding that officers of the command were fully committed to protecting the nation’s economy, safeguarding public health and preventing criminal exploitation of Nigeria’s borders.
He further assured stakeholders and the public that the command would continue to intensify intelligence-driven enforcement operations while facilitating legitimate trade in line with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.
The latest seizures add to a growing list of enforcement successes recorded by the Apapa Area Command in recent months and highlight Customs’ increasing reliance on intelligence gathering, strategic profiling, data analysis and inter-agency collaboration to curb smuggling and other illicit activities at the nation’s busiest seaport.
