Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over narcotic drugs and expired pharmaceutical products with a combined Duty Paid Value of N53.39 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The handover, which took place on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Apapa Area Command in Lagos, followed the interception of nine containers at the Apapa Port. The seizures were made through intelligence gathering, scanning analysis, physical examination, and close collaboration with the NDLEA, according to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
The operation, described by the Service as one of its largest anti-smuggling efforts, resulted in the interception of a wide range of prohibited substances. Among the seizures were two 40-foot containers loaded with Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as Canadian Loud, concealed alongside imported vehicles and automobile spare parts. One container held 3,639 parcels weighing 1,819.5 kilograms, while another contained 9,918 sachets weighing approximately 4.95 metric tonnes. Customs officers also intercepted two containers conveying 339,800 bottles of Codeine syrup, cleverly concealed inside cartons of insulated casserole dishes in an apparent attempt to evade detection. 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 laden with Piccan Teething Powder. In a significant discovery, Customs uncovered a container carrying 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake NAFDAC registration number. Adeniyi explained that verification by NAFDAC confirmed that the product was not registered, exposing an attempt to flood the Nigerian market with unapproved pharmaceutical products.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Adeniyi said the cumulative Duty Paid Value of the nine seizures stood at N53,391,140,029, but stressed that the significance of the operation extended beyond its monetary value. "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. He noted that the sophisticated concealment methods adopted by criminal syndicates reflected growing attempts to exploit legitimate trade channels, but stressed that the Nigeria Customs Service now possesses the intelligence capability, technological capacity, and operational readiness to detect, intercept, and dismantle such networks.
Adeniyi announced that all narcotic drugs seized would be formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, while expired and fake pharmaceutical products would be transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action and safe disposal. He added that vehicles, spare parts, and other legitimate goods used to conceal the prohibited items would remain in Customs custody pending forfeiture, revenue recovery, and other enforcement actions under the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. The Apapa Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, also warned smugglers that Nigeria's ports were no longer safe havens for illicit drugs, expired pharmaceuticals, and other prohibited goods, stressing that the Service would continue to deploy intelligence and technology to frustrate criminal networks.
Representing the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the Director of Seaport Operations, Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the handover as a landmark in the growing collaboration between the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service. She noted that the 6,778.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Indica handed over to the agency would be properly investigated and prosecuted. The Customs boss also reaffirmed the Service's commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, technology-driven cargo inspection, and stronger inter-agency collaboration to secure Nigeria's borders and facilitate legitimate trade.
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