The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on smuggling and other illicit activities with the seizure of 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud,” and expired pharmaceutical products valued at over ₦12.78 billion.
The seizures were made through intelligence-led operations conducted by officers of the Command in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant security agencies.
According to a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, officers on June 15, 2026 intercepted a 40-foot container, numbered CAAU7569127, loaded with a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa.
The illicit drugs, concealed inside a Toyota vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, and several bags and drums within the container, comprised 3,639 sachets weighing 500 grams each, bringing the total weight to approximately 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes).
Preliminary field tests conducted on the substance confirmed it to be Cannabis Sativa.
The Command said the interception underscores its growing capacity to detect and dismantle sophisticated smuggling networks seeking to exploit Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
In a related operation, Customs officers also intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly imported for relabelling and reintroduction into the Nigerian market.
One of the containers, with number PCIU8771576, contained expired pharmaceuticals including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.
The second container, numbered MRKU4961275, contained various expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
According to Customs, the products carried expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023, posing significant health risks to unsuspecting consumers if allowed into circulation.
The Command disclosed that the seized items have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦12,784,479,341.72, describing the importation of such goods as a serious threat to public health, national security and the economy.
Commenting on the seizures, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, warned individuals involved in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals to desist from such criminal activities.
“Unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress. We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them.
“Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising. Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage and public health endangerment,” he said.
Oshoba further stated that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, assuring Nigerians of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives, safeguarding public health and facilitating legitimate trade.
He reaffirmed that the Command would continue to intensify intelligence-driven operations aimed at preventing criminal exploitation of the nation’s borders while supporting the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda.
The Command noted that the successful interceptions prevented dangerous narcotics and potentially harmful expired medications from reaching hospitals, pharmacies and homes across the country.
