Customs intercepts $265,000 undeclared cash, unregistered drugs, prohibited herbicide in Kano
The Nigeria Customs Service, Kano/Jigawa Area Command, has intercepted $265,000 in undeclared foreign currency, unregistered pharmaceutical products and more than 3,000 cartons of herbicide containing a prohibited chemical at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.
The Acting Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Usman Umar Adamu, disclosed this during a press briefing in Kano, saying the interceptions reflected the command’s intensified efforts to combat illicit financial flows, protect public health and prevent the entry of prohibited and counterfeit products into the country.
According to him, the foreign currency was intercepted on Sunday, September 26, 2026, when Customs officers conducting routine screening stopped a male Nigerian passenger who arrived from New Delhi aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET941.
He said the passenger’s luggage was flagged during scanning with Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, prompting a secondary physical examination that led to the discovery of $265,000 concealed among his personal belongings.
Adamu said the interception was significant given the command’s sustained sensitisation campaigns on the lawful movement and declaration of cash and other negotiable instruments.
He noted that the engagements had involved Customs officials, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, traders and other stakeholders to educate travellers and businesses on the requirement to declare currency above the prescribed threshold.
The Acting Controller disclosed that the command had, from January to date, intercepted undeclared foreign currency and other negotiable instruments worth more than N2.5 billion in equivalent value.
He warned that moving foreign currency above the approved threshold without declaration contravenes Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, as well as relevant provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
He said the passenger, currency and relevant documents would be handed over to the EFCC Kano Zonal Directorate for further investigation in accordance with Section 4(f) of the NCS Act 2023.
In a related development, the command also intercepted 2,143 sachets of medicaments of different brands, 1,423 packs of empty medicament packaging materials and 10,056 cartons of empty pesticide packaging materials.
The pharmaceutical products and packaging materials were intercepted at MAKIA and subjected to a 100 per cent joint physical examination in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The examination reportedly established that the pharmaceutical products were not registered with NAFDAC, while there was no evidence that the packaging materials originated from the original manufacturers.
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The Kano/Jigawa Area Command also displayed more than 3,000 cartons of herbicide identified as “Para Best”, which Customs said contained the prohibited chemical “Paracot”.
Adamu said the seized pharmaceutical products and packaging materials would be handed over to NAFDAC’s Ports Inspection Directorate in Kano for necessary action.
He explained that the operation was consistent with the Customs Service’s statutory responsibility under Sections 4(f), 149(c)(v) and 168 of the NCS Act 2023, as well as the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the NCS and NAFDAC.
Speaking on the currency interception, the Zonal Director of the EFCC, Mr Friday S. Ebelo, described the handover as another demonstration of the agencies’ collective commitment to sanitising the financial ecosystem.
Ebelo said the operation represented a meaningful example of inter-agency collaboration between the Customs Service and the EFCC in tackling illicit financial activities.
Also speaking, the Assistant Director, NAFDAC Ports Inspection Directorate, Kano, Mr Azik Musa Kanadi, said every interception of suspected substandard, falsified or counterfeit regulated products represented a wider story of regulatory vigilance and inter-agency cooperation.
Kanadi said such operations demonstrated the commitment of regulatory officers who prioritised integrity, intelligence sharing and collective vigilance in protecting legitimate trade and public health.
He added that successful interceptions also helped strengthen regulatory confidence and protect Nigeria’s standing within the global health community.
“Most importantly, for substandard and falsified medicine, it is the story of a patient somewhere whose health has been protected and of confidence strengthened in our healthcare system,” he said.
Kanadi commended the Customs Service for its collaboration with NAFDAC and urged stakeholders and members of the public to speak out against the importation, distribution and use of substandard and falsified medical products, as well as other unregulated products.
Adamu described the intercepted products as potential threats to public health and intellectual property, warning that the command would intensify surveillance to prevent the importation and circulation of unregistered medicines, prohibited chemicals and other potentially hazardous products.
He appealed to members of the public to cooperate with the Service and other regulatory agencies by providing credible information that could assist in preventing the circulation of dangerous and unregistered products.
The Acting Controller also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management for supporting the command with modern scanning technology and capacity-building initiatives, which he said had enhanced its enforcement capabilities.
He further acknowledged the continued collaboration between Customs, the EFCC and NAFDAC in tackling illicit financial activities, smuggling, public-health threats and other forms of cross-border economic crime.
