Customs, NDLEA Bust N3.39bn Codeine Smuggling Ring at Apapa Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted two containers laden with codeine-based syrup valued at N3.398 billion at Apapa Port, Lagos.
In a statement issued on Monday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, disclosed that the seizure involved 3,398 cartons—equivalent to 339,800 bottles—of codeine-containing syrup ingeniously concealed within household utensils. The interception occurred on Sunday.
Sulaiman noted that the operation came just five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, visited Apapa Port and warned that the facility would no longer serve as a haven for smugglers exploiting legitimate trade channels.
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Providing further details, he revealed that one of the containers, bearing registration number MRKU 3816476, contained 1,700 cartons of codeine hidden among 38 cartons of pearl-plated insulated casserole utensils. The second container, identified as TGBU 5399178, held 1,698 cartons of the substance concealed within 36 cartons of similar household items. Both consignments have since been officially seized in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, as amended.
Reacting to the development, the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, described the interception as a clear demonstration of the command’s commitment to enforcing the directives of the Comptroller-General.
He stated that the operation underscores the command’s alignment with the NCS’s intelligence-driven enforcement strategy and its resolve to make Apapa Port increasingly hostile to smugglers and drug trafficking networks.
Oshoba also commended the NDLEA for its effective collaboration, emphasizing that inter-agency synergy remains critical to combating illicit drug trafficking.
He reiterated the command’s determination to safeguard public health, enhance national security, and ensure the facilitation of legitimate trade, in line with the service’s renewed focus on technology-driven operations and zero tolerance for smuggling.
By PRNigeria
