The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intensified its enforcement operations with the interception of a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa and expired pharmaceutical products smuggled through the nation’s busiest seaport.
The operation was carried out through coordinated intelligence efforts in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In a press statement signed on Tuesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, Customs authorities said the breakthrough followed a targeted examination of a 40-foot container flagged over suspicious import documentation and risk indicators.
According to the statement, acting on intelligence, officers moved in on the container identified as CAAU7569127, where they discovered 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa. Each sachet weighed 500 grams, bringing the total haul to about 1.8 tonnes.
The statement further noted that the illicit substances were concealed in multiple compartments, including inside a Toyota Sienna, a Toyota Nissan vehicle, as well as bags and drums stashed within the container in what officials described as a calculated attempt to evade detection.
Preliminary examination confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa, while it added that the interception reflects strengthened profiling systems and enhanced surveillance aimed at disrupting smuggling networks operating through maritime entry points.
In a separate operation, officers also intercepted two 40-foot containers laden with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly intended for illegal distribution within Nigeria.
Investigations, the Command said, showed that the medicines, which expired between 2021 and 2023, were reportedly being prepared for repackaging and reintroduction into the local market, raising serious public health concerns.
One of the containers, PCIU8771576, according to officials, was found to contain expired Cidoxilin Capsules, Vitamin B12 injections and Becoline B-Complex injections, while the second container, MRKU4961275, contained a range of expired drugs including Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Consequently, Customs officials warned that the consignments, if not intercepted, could have reached hospitals, pharmacies and other healthcare facilities, posing severe risks to public health and safety.
According to the Command, the total Duty Paid Value of the seized items, was put at ₦12,784,479,341.72.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Area Command, said the seizures formed part of sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks exploiting port operations for illicit trade.
He added that the Command would continue to intensify intelligence-led enforcement operations, noting that offenders would face strict sanctions as efforts are stepped up to secure the nation’s borders and safeguard legitimate trade.
