The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 13 containers at the Apapa Area Command containing more than 7.6 tonnes of cannabis sativa, nearly 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup, security-sensitive drones and large quantities of expired products, with a combined duty-paid value of ₦43.59 billion.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who disclosed this at a press briefing, said the seizures were the outcome of sustained intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing dangerous and prohibited consignments from entering the country.
Adeniyi said the seizures should not be viewed as isolated incidents, stressing that the Customs Service’s mandate under the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, extends beyond revenue collection to securing the supply chain, protecting the border and safeguarding Nigerians from unsafe imports.
According to him, the seaport has become a critical point where narcotics, controlled pharmaceuticals, restricted equipment and unsafe goods can converge, often concealed within otherwise legitimate consignments.
He said smugglers and criminal syndicates had increasingly resorted to sophisticated concealment methods, including hiding narcotics among vehicle spare parts and used vehicles, controlled drugs beneath household goods and restricted equipment among ordinary electronics.
“The Service has therefore spent this period building the means to target”, the Comptroller-General said, adding that Customs had strengthened cargo profiling and risk assessment across its commands and deployed the B’Odogwu platform to enhance the use of trade data in identifying high-risk consignments.
He also disclosed that the Service established an INTERPOL Data Centre at its headquarters in Abuja in July, giving officers access to more than 152 international databases.
Adeniyi said the intelligence-led operations were also strengthened through cooperation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), NAFDAC, the Office of the National Security Adviser and international security partners.
7,624kg Cannabis Intercepted
The three containers carrying cannabis contained a combined 15,245 parcels weighing 7,624kg, or more than 7.6 tonnes.
One 40-foot container, HAMU 3086682, contained 4,777 parcels of cannabis weighing 2,388.5kg, concealed alongside assorted automobile spare parts, coffee mix, oats and three vehicles.
Another 40-foot container, FANU 1933352, contained 8,287 parcels weighing 4,145kg, alongside three vehicles.
The third, MSKU 3941778, a 20-foot container, contained 2,181 parcels weighing 1,090.5kg, in addition to foreign parboiled rice, automobile spare parts, lithium batteries, a photovoltaic combiner box, turmeric and fish products.
Adeniyi attributed the cannabis interceptions to inter-agency cooperation with the NDLEA and intelligence provided by international security partners.
He said the information was analysed and acted upon through cargo profiling, documentary scrutiny and targeted examination by Customs officers.
170,000 Bottles of Codeine Seized
The Service also intercepted container TCKU 7653306, a 40-foot container containing 1,700 cartons of codeine syrup, equivalent to 169,998 bottles, concealed beneath household items.
The Comptroller-General said the scale of the consignment was particularly concerning given the abuse of prohibited substances among young Nigerians.
He noted that the abuse of substances such as codeine had been associated with violent conduct, family breakdown and the loss of productive lives.
“A single container of this size would have supplied that trade for a considerable period”, he said.
Drones Raise Security Concerns
Customs officers also extracted 108 high-definition dual-camera drones from container MSKU 9282528.
Adeniyi acknowledged that drones have legitimate applications but warned that the technology could become a security threat when placed in the wrong hands.
“Equipment of this kind, in the wrong hands, becomes a means of surveillance, of reconnaissance and of delivery”, he said.
He warned importers that restricted and security-sensitive equipment must have the appropriate security approvals, end-user certificates and other required documentation before clearance.
“Consignments of that character that arrive without them will be detained”, he said, stressing that Nigerian ports would not be allowed to become channels through which security-sensitive capabilities reach persons working against the country’s security.
Expired Products Stopped
Five other containers were intercepted for carrying expired products, including tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.
The affected containers were SUDU 7593139, containing expired tomato ketchup; PCIU 2834954, carrying expired antiseptic liquid; ZCSU 8749546, loaded with expired vaginal tablets; and MSKU 1524590 and PONU 7890827, both containing expired disposable nappies.
Adeniyi warned that the importation of expired products posed serious risks to consumers, particularly because some of the goods were consumed by households or applied directly to the body.
“These are products applied to the body and consumed by households”, he said, adding that their importation after expiry could expose children, women and other consumers to harm that might not be detectable at the point of purchase.
1,282 Bales of Used Clothing
The operation also resulted in the seizure of 1,282 bales of used clothing from three 40-foot containers.
Container MRKU 6185100 contained 425 bales, MRKU 5535966 had 435 bales, while SEKU 4685299 contained 422 bales.
The combined duty-paid value of all the seizures was put at ₦43,588,618,859.
Customs Warns Smugglers
Adeniyi assured legitimate traders that the Service would continue to facilitate the quick movement of compliant cargo, while increasing scrutiny of consignments, transactions and operators presenting identifiable risks.
He warned importers and operators involved in false declaration, concealment, undervaluation or the importation of prohibited goods that no port, border station or logistics channel would be allowed to become a safe haven for illicit trade.
“Compliance is available, and it is cheaper than the alternative”, he said.
He encouraged importers uncertain about the treatment of their products to use the Service’s Advance Ruling mechanism to obtain guidance on classification, valuation and origin before shipment.
He also urged compliant operators to enrol in the Authorised Economic Operator programme, which provides more predictable clearance and fewer interventions where risk assessments justify such treatment.
Adeniyi commended officers and men of the Apapa Area Command for their vigilance and professionalism, while appreciating the NDLEA, NAFDAC and international partners for their cooperation.
He reaffirmed that Nigerian ports must remain gateways for lawful commerce, industrial growth and national prosperity, rather than transit points for narcotics, controlled drugs, security-threatening equipment or products capable of endangering public health.