By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, has uncovered a sweeping network of smuggling and illicit trade, intercepting cocaine valued at ₦2.35 billion alongside 15 trailer-loads of foreign rice and a wide range of contraband across the South-West.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, the Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, revealed that the seizures were made over an eight-week period, underscoring intensified enforcement efforts.
According to him, operatives foiled 473 smuggling attempts within the period, leading to the confiscation of 8,794 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 22 used vehicles, 328 bales of used clothing, and 31,705 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Other seized items include a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and various food products such as poultry, vegetable oil, spaghetti, and sugar.
Aliyu clarified that the rice displayed at the briefing represented cumulative interceptions made at different locations and times across the zone.
“All the rice you see here are accumulative of seizures carried out at different places, at different times, and through different interdictions,” he said.
Beyond the economic implications, the Comptroller emphasized the social cost of drug trafficking, warning that narcotics continue to destroy families and fuel criminal activities.
“It may surprise you to know that many homes are broken due to drugs. Our mandate is to cut off the supply chain, and that is exactly what we are doing,” he added.
In a major breakthrough, Customs operatives at the Gbaji outpost intercepted a 71-year-old suspect along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor with 6.35kg of cocaine concealed in a Toyota Highlander. The drugs, comprising both powdered and crystalline forms, were valued at ₦2.35 billion.
Under a special enforcement drive, codenamed “Operation Hawk,” the unit also seized 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as “Ghanaian loud,” weighing 1,540kg. The substances, along with three suspects, have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.
In a related operation, officers intercepted four cylinders of mercury hidden in a vehicle along the same corridor. Aliyu described the substance as hazardous and subject to international regulation.
Overall, the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizures stands at approximately ₦5.5 billion, reflecting the scale of enforcement activities. Additionally, the unit recovered ₦97.7 million through Demand Notices issued on under-declared consignments.
Aliyu reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to deploying modern technology—including geospatial intelligence, drone surveillance, and real-time tracking—to strengthen border security and clamp down on smuggling networks.
