On Wednesday, the Nigeria Customs Service gave the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control nine containers containing seized hard narcotics, expired, counterfeit, and illegal pharmaceutical products totaling N53.391 billion in duty-paid value.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated during the handover ceremony in Apapa that the seizures were the result of careful intelligence collection and interagency cooperation intended to safeguard national security and public health.
According to him, the Apapa Area Command made the seizures after gathering intelligence, analyzing scans, conducting physical examinations, and working with the NDLEA.
Days after the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the event, according to Adeniyi, reaffirmed the service’s dedication to defending Nigeria’s borders, preserving public health, and bolstering national security through intelligence-driven border management.
A 40-foot container with registration number CAAU7569127 that contained 3,639 packets of cannabis sativa weighing 1,819.5 kilos was among the seizures, he said. It was hidden alongside three imported cars and various auto parts.
He further stated that 9,918 sachets of cannabis sativa, weighing about 4.95 metric tonnes, were hidden alongside two imported cars and domestic goods in another 40-foot container with registration number HAMU3246311.
He said that 1,700 cartons of codeine syrup were hidden behind 38 cartons of insulated casserole dishes in another 40-foot container bearing registration number MRKU3816476.
“An additional 40-foot container with registration number TGBU5399178 that contained 1,698 cartons of codeine syrup hidden inside 36 cartons of casserole products; a 40-foot container with registration number HASU4519480 that contained 1,300 cartons of expired pharmaceutical products, including tramadol; a 40-foot container with registration number MRKU4961275 that contained 1,269 cartons of expired medications, such as oxytocin injections, Mexclor eye drops, and carbamazepine injections; and another 40-foot container with registration number PCIU8771576. Everyone was intercepted for regulatory action, according to Adeniyi.
A 20-foot container with registration number MRKU6964435 that contained Piccan teething powder and a 40-foot container with registration number TCKU7000791 that contained 1,100 packages of Chacold chlorpheniramine maleate capsules with a fictitious National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control registration number and an expiration date of December 2028 were also seized, he continued.
“The total duty-paid value of these nine seizures is N53.391 billion only,” he stated.
The head of Customs stated that non-intrusive inspection and intelligence analysis led to the seizures.
He claims that even though the shipments looked authentic at first, a thorough examination of the declarant’s NAFDAC certificate showed that the goods were not registered with the organization.
According to Adeniyi, the use of fictitious registration numbers and accompanying paperwork suggested a concerted effort to smuggle unlicensed pharmaceuticals into Nigeria, endangering public health.
“As a result, the shipment was seized in compliance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and will be turned over to NAFDAC for additional regulatory action and investigation,” he stated.
According to him, the seizures were worth more than money.
He stated, “They stand for lives saved, families maintained, communities safeguarded, and innumerable young Nigerians protected from the terrible effects of drug abuse and dangerous medications.”
The importation of banned narcotics and expired pharmaceuticals is a direct threat to public health, according to the CGC, and the sophisticated concealing techniques used by criminal networks showed their resolve to take use of legal trade channels for illegal activities.
But he added that the interceptions also demonstrated that the NCS has the operational preparedness, technology competence, and intelligence capabilities to identify and stop such illegal activity.
Narcotic narcotics that fall under the NDLEA’s statutory competence will be formally turned over to the organization today for additional investigation and prosecution in compliance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. In a similar vein, pharmaceutical products that have expired will be moved to NAFDAC for safe disposal and regulatory action, he stated.
He clarified that only narcotic drugs and expired pharmaceuticals would be turned over when illegal items were hidden with cars, auto parts, or other imported goods; the rest would be held in Customs’ custody for seizure, forfeiture, condemnation, revenue recovery, and other enforcement actions.
In order to stop criminal organizations from taking advantage of Nigeria’s ports and borders, Adeniyi praised Apapa Area Command personnel and stated that the service would continue to strengthen cooperation with pertinent government institutions, the business sector, and foreign partners.
He pledged to follow up on all intelligence leads, thoroughly examine any infractions, and prosecute all offenders.
“We are still dedicated to creating a safe trading environment that upholds national security, preserves public health, and protects our economy.” Let today’s operation make it abundantly evident that Nigeria’s ports are no longer safe havens for organized crime networks or smugglers who wish to exploit them to traffic illegal drugs, outdated medications, or other forbidden products. The Nigeria Customs Service is gradually narrowing the gaps that criminal syndicates once exploited thanks to technology, information, coordinated border management, and the professionalism of our personnel,” Adeniyi stated.
The service will keep intercepting, exposing, and prosecuting anyone who endangers the economy, jeopardizes public health, or jeopardizes national security, he continued.
Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), the NDLEA Chairman, earlier referred to the incident as a turning point in the cooperation between the NDLEA and the NCS when taking possession of the drugs that had been confiscated.
“Together, we have taken 6,778.5 kilograms of Cannabis Indica, popularly known as ‘Canadian Loud,’ out of circulation,” stated Marwa, who was represented by Assistant Commander of Narcotics Archie-Abia Ogboba.
We make it very evident with two significant seizures on June 15 and 24, 2026, that we are more committed than ever to dismantling drug trafficking networks and organized crime syndicates that operate both inside and outside of our borders.
The NDLEA Special Investigation Unit and Marine Intelligence Unit, working with international partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, carried out intelligence-led operations that led to both seizures, Marwa continued.
“Our marine surveillance officers tracked the vessels and containers throughout their journey until both were successfully intercepted, and over the course of four months, actionable intelligence was carefully developed,” he stated.
