By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted illicit drugs, expired pharmaceutical products and counterfeit medicines with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N53.39 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos, in one of the Service’s largest anti-smuggling operations aimed at safeguarding public health and strengthening national security.
The seizures, comprising nine containers loaded with cannabis, codeine syrup, expired drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products, were officially handed over to relevant regulatory agencies on Wednesday at the Apapa Area Command.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs, **Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi**, said the operation was made possible through intelligence-driven enforcement, non-intrusive inspection technology, cargo scanning, physical examination and sustained collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to him, the operation resulted in the interception of nine containers carrying prohibited substances fraudulently imported into the country through Apapa Port, Nigeria’s busiest seaport.
Among the seizures were two 40-foot containers loaded with Cannabis Sativa (Canadian Loud) concealed alongside imported vehicles, household items and automobile spare parts. One of the containers contained 3,639 parcels weighing 1,819.5 kilograms, while the second contained 9,918 sachets with a combined weight of approximately 4.95 metric tonnes.
The Customs Service also intercepted two containers conveying 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup cleverly concealed inside cartons of insulated casserole dishes in what officials described as an attempt to evade security checks.
Three additional containers were found to contain expired pharmaceutical products, including Tramadol, Oxytocin injections, Carbamazepine tablets, Cloxacillin capsules, Vitamin B12 injections and B-Complex injections. Another container was loaded with Piccan Teething Powder, which has been handed over for regulatory action.
In another significant discovery, Customs officers uncovered a container carrying 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake NAFDAC registration number. Adeniyi explained that verification by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirmed that the product was not registered, exposing an attempt to flood the Nigerian market with unapproved pharmaceutical products.
The Comptroller-General noted that while the seized consignments had a combined Duty Paid Value of N53,391,140,029, their true significance lay in the lives saved and communities protected.
“These seizures represent far more than monetary value. They represent lives protected, families preserved, communities secured and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines,” he said.
Adeniyi observed that criminal syndicates continue to adopt increasingly sophisticated concealment methods to exploit legitimate trade channels. However, he stressed that the Nigeria Customs Service has significantly enhanced its intelligence capability, technological capacity and operational readiness to detect, intercept and dismantle such networks.
He announced that all narcotic drugs seized would be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, while expired and counterfeit pharmaceutical products would be transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action and safe disposal. Legitimate items used to conceal the prohibited goods, including vehicles and spare parts, will remain in Customs custody pending forfeiture, revenue recovery and other enforcement actions under the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
The Customs boss commended officers of the Apapa Area Command and partner agencies for their professionalism and vigilance, reaffirming the Service’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, technology-driven cargo inspection and stronger inter-agency collaboration to secure Nigeria’s borders while facilitating legitimate trade.
He warned that Nigerian ports would no longer serve as safe transit routes for traffickers of illicit drugs, expired medicines and other prohibited imports, vowing that the Service would continue to identify, intercept and prosecute offenders.
Representing the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archiea Abia Ogoba, described the handover as another milestone in the growing operational partnership between the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service.
Ogoba disclosed that the operation was the culmination of over four months of intelligence gathering and marine surveillance conducted by the NDLEA’s Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit in collaboration with international partners, particularly the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
According to him, investigators tracked the illicit consignments from Canada through multiple trans-shipment points before they were intercepted during joint operations involving the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at the Lagos ports.
He commended the Customs Service and all participating security agencies for their professionalism, intelligence sharing and sustained cooperation, describing the successful operation as a testament to the effectiveness of coordinated efforts in combating transnational organised crime.
