Customs Intercepts N43.5bn Narcotics, Drones, Expired Goods at Apapa Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted prohibited and restricted consignments, including narcotics, controlled pharmaceuticals, security-sensitive drones and expired products, with a combined value of N43.5 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this on Wednesday while handing over the seized consignments to relevant government agencies.
The consignments included 7,624kg of cannabis sativa, 169,998 bottles of codeine-based syrup, 100 high-definition dual-camera drones imported without the required approvals, as well as expired food, pharmaceutical and household products.
Adeniyi handed over the narcotics to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while the illicit and expired pharmaceutical products were transferred to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for appropriate action.
The Customs chief said the seizures underscored the agency’s expanding role beyond revenue collection to include supply-chain security, border protection and safeguarding the public from dangerous imports.
He said criminal networks were increasingly exploiting legitimate trade channels to conceal narcotics, restricted equipment and expired goods through false declarations, unscrupulous agents and syndicates operating within the ports.
According to him, some of the concealment methods involved hiding narcotics inside vehicles, placing illicit drugs beneath household items and declaring restricted equipment as ordinary electronic devices to evade detection.
Adeniyi said the NCS had strengthened its cargo-targeting capabilities over the past three years through intelligence profiling, risk assessment and the use of the Producer platform, which integrates trade data across Customs commands nationwide.
He added that the establishment of an INTERPOL Data Centre in Abuja in July 2026 had further enhanced Nigeria’s capacity to access more than 152 international security databases.
The CGC attributed the success of recent operations to stronger intelligence-sharing and collaboration between the Customs Service, NDLEA, the Office of the National Security Adviser and international partners.
He disclosed that 11 containers were intercepted, containing three broad categories of prohibited and restricted items.
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The first category consisted of 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg, concealed in three containers, alongside 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup hidden among household goods.
The second category comprised 100 high-definition dual-camera drones imported without the mandatory regulatory and security approvals.
Adeniyi warned that such drones and other security-sensitive equipment could be deployed for unauthorised surveillance and criminal activities if allowed into the country without proper controls.
The third category included expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquids, disposable nappies and vaginal tablets, which he said posed significant health risks to unsuspecting consumers.
Other items seized included 1,282 bales of used clothing, 148 bags of foreign parboiled rice, lithium batteries and food products concealed alongside the illicit consignments.
The Customs boss stressed that drones and other security-sensitive equipment must be accompanied by the appropriate end-user certificates and relevant security approvals.
He warned importers and criminal networks that consignments brought into the country without the required approvals would be detained and handed over to the appropriate government agencies.
Adeniyi commended officers of the Apapa Command, the NDLEA and other local and international partners for their cooperation in disrupting illicit trade.
He also urged the media to continue exposing individuals and networks involved in activities capable of undermining legitimate commerce and national security.
The CGC advised compliant importers to take advantage of the Advanced Ruling and Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programmes to better understand and comply with import regulations.
He said the NCS would not allow Nigerian ports to become safe corridors for prohibited or illicit goods.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the presence of the CGC and other stakeholders at the handover ceremony reflected the importance attached to leadership, inter-agency collaboration and public accountability.
Oshoba said the participation of sister agencies further demonstrated the sustained cooperation required to strengthen national security, public safety and economic prosperity.
He assured that the Apapa Command would continue to implement the CGC’s policy direction while upholding professionalism, discipline, integrity and diligence in facilitating legitimate trade and protecting the national interest.
According to him, joint operations and intelligence-sharing with sister agencies had continued to assist the command in disrupting criminal networks and effectively carrying out its statutory responsibilities.
By PRNigeria
