A routine check of cargo at Apapa Port in Lagos uncovered more than 7.6 tonnes of cannabis, almost 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 drones stashed inside 12 containers. The Nigeria Customs Service said the combined Duty Paid Value of the consignments is ₦43.59 billion.
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi disclosed the figures at a press briefing. He said the operation relied on intelligence-sharing with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and international security partners, followed by cargo profiling and targeted inspections.
The cannabis was split across three containers. Officers found 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa in total, hidden among automobile spare parts, vehicles, food products, batteries and fish. One container held more than 4,700 parcels alongside spare parts, coffee mix, oats and three vehicles. Another had more than 8,200 parcels packed in with vehicles and other goods.
The codeine haul was larger in volume. In a separate container, officers found 1,700 cartons of codeine syrup containing 169,998 bottles. The bottles were hidden underneath household goods. That single shipment accounted for nearly all of the 170,000-bottle figure.
Customs also seized 108 high-definition dual-camera drones, which it described as security-sensitive equipment. The agency said such devices require appropriate approvals and end-user certificates before they can be imported into Nigeria. The drones were handed over for further action by the relevant security authorities.
Five other containers held expired products, including tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies. The seizures also included 1,282 bales of used clothing.
The scale of the operation points to how prohibited goods are being concealed inside legitimate-looking cargo. Narcotics were packed alongside spare parts and vehicles. Controlled drugs were buried beneath household products. Restricted equipment was declared as ordinary electronics.
Adeniyi said the Customs Service is relying more on intelligence, risk assessment and targeted cargo examinations to identify suspicious shipments at the port. The agency is working with the NDLEA, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Office of the National Security Adviser and international security agencies.
Had the containers passed through undetected, the contents would have entered the Nigerian market. The cannabis would have been distributed as narcotics. The codeine syrup, a controlled substance, was in a quantity large enough for widespread illegal sale. The expired products were intended for human consumption or use on the body.
The seizures come as Nigeria continues to deal with the production and distribution of fake goods. NAFDAC recently exposed Chinese syndicates allegedly making and distributing counterfeit products in the country. The customs operation at Apapa Port adds another layer to that problem, with controlled drugs and expired medical items intercepted before they could reach consumers.
Apapa Port is Nigeria's busiest seaport, handling a large share of the country's imports. The discovery of these 12 containers among the regular flow of cargo shows the volume of screening required to catch such shipments. Officers found the cannabis, codeine and drones through a combination of intelligence and physical inspection, not random checks.
The 108 drones are a separate concern. Dual-camera high-definition drones are not ordinary consumer electronics. They require end-user certificates before importation, a process designed to track who is buying surveillance equipment and for what purpose. Customs did not say who the intended recipient was or what the drones were meant to be used for.
The codeine shipment is among the largest single seizures of the syrup in recent memory. Nigeria has struggled with codeine abuse for years, and the government has at various points restricted its production and sale. A shipment of nearly 170,000 bottles would have supplied a significant portion of the illicit market.
Adeniyi presented the seized items at the briefing alongside an NDLEA official. The display included bags of narcotics, bottles of codeine syrup and the drones. The expired products were also shown, though Customs did not give a breakdown of how many units of each item were found.
The operation was not a single raid. It involved multiple containers inspected over a period of time, with each one yielding a different type of contraband. The three containers of cannabis were discovered separately from the container holding the codeine, which was separate from the containers holding expired goods and used clothing.
Customs did not say whether any arrests have been made in connection with the seizures. The agency also did not name the importers or the shipping companies responsible for the containers. It said only that the consignments had a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦43.59 billion, a figure that reflects the street value of the goods had they been released.
According to Pulse.ng.
