Customs Seize ₦3.39bn Codeine Shipment at Apapa Port, Intensify Crackdown on Drug Trafficking
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted two containers laden with codeine-based syrup valued at ₦3.39 billion at Apapa Port, in a major breakthrough against drug trafficking through the country’s busiest seaport.
The seizure, which occurred on Sunday, 15 March 2026, was the result of a joint operation between the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), according to a statement issued on Monday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman.
Details of the operation revealed that the containers concealed 3,398 cartons comprising 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup. The illicit cargo, falsely declared as household utensils, had a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3.39 billion.
Sulaiman explained that the consignment was uncovered during a targeted inspection following credible intelligence, underscoring the effectiveness of the Command’s surveillance and enforcement mechanisms.
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Reacting to the development, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the interception as a clear demonstration of the Command’s resolve to enforce directives issued by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
“This seizure, coming barely five days after the Comptroller-General’s visit and his firm warning to criminal elements, reflects our commitment to executing his mandate,” Oshoba stated.
He emphasized that the Command remains firmly aligned with the Service’s intelligence-driven enforcement strategy and vowed to sustain efforts to make Apapa Port increasingly hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers.
Oshoba also commended the NDLEA for its collaboration, noting that inter-agency cooperation played a critical role in the success of the operation.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding public health, enhancing national security, and facilitating legitimate trade in line with the Nigeria Customs Service’s modernisation agenda and zero-tolerance policy against smuggling.
By PRNigeria
