The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Port Command has recorded a seizure of illicit drugs worth a total of N1,183,915,500 (one billion, one hundred and eighty three million, nine hundred and fifteen thousand, five hundred naira into the country in four units of 40ft containers.
Breakdown of the seizures shows they were 236,783 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine, and barkadin cough syrup packed in a total of 2,174 cartons from two terminals under the command.
Three of the seizures were made in APM Terminals and one was made at Kachicares Bonded Terminal.
Giving further details on the seizures, Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, described it as a fallout of the service zero tolerance for smuggling.
He said: “On 11th of October 2024, our officers during a joint examination of 1×40 container number MRKU0377493 found prohibited CSP cough syrup in 34,800 bottles.
“The offensive importation was also found to have expired. The smugglers packed them in 174 cartons with 200 bottles per carton.
“On the same day, during another examination in the same terminal, a 1×40 container TGBU8886020 was found to be laden with 39,700 bottles of DSP cough syrup packed in 100 bottles per carton.
“Another 1x40ft container NO TCKU6800526 dropped at APMT Container Terminal, said to contain Essential goods was examined on 15th October 2024, and after examination it was found to contain a concealment of 19 cartons of CSJ cough syrup for throat and chesty cough with codeine 100ml packed in 200 bottles per carton