NCS seizes N53.39bn contraband items

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted contraband valued at N53.39 billion at Apapa Port, Lagos, in a major intelligence-led operation aimed at protecting Nigeria’s ports, supply chains and legitimate trade from criminal networks.

Speaking during the handover of the seized narcotic drugs and expired pharmaceutical products to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures reflected the Service’s strengthened surveillance, intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration.

The operation resulted in the seizure of nine containers carrying more than 6.7 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup, expired pharmaceutical products and unregistered medicines bearing fake NAFDAC registration numbers.

The prohibited items were concealed among imported vehicles, household goods and automobile spare parts.

Adeniyi said the seizures, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N53.39 billion, underscore Customs’ determination to prevent Nigeria’s ports from being used as channels for illicit trade while facilitating legitimate commerce.

He explained that the narcotic drugs would be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, while the expired and unregistered pharmaceutical products would be transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action.

“Goods used to conceal the contraband would remain in Customs’ custody for forfeiture and other enforcement measures in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023,” he said.

According to him, the operation demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-led border management and reinforces the Service’s commitment to safeguarding public health, enhancing national security and improving the integrity of Nigeria’s trading environment.

Also speaking, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), represented by the Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the cannabis seizures were the outcome of a four-month joint intelligence operation involving the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

She disclosed that investigators tracked the containers from Canada through Morocco before intercepting them at Apapa Port, describing the operation as a significant disruption of transnational drug trafficking networks and another demonstration of the value of international intelligence sharing in securing Nigeria’s maritime trade corridors.

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