Apapa Customs Foils Smuggling of 1.8 Tonnes Cannabis, Expired Drugs Worth ₦12.7bn

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has once again demonstrated its iron resolve to safeguard national security and public health, intercepting a massive consignment of illicit drugs and expired pharmaceuticals in intelligence-led operations that underscore its uncompromising enforcement posture.

According to a release by the Command Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, on Monday, June 15, 2026, officers of the Command, acting on credible intelligence and in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 40-foot container (number CAAU7569127) laden with 1.8 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud.”

Sulaiman explained that the drugs, cleverly concealed inside vehicles and drums, were recovered in 3,639 sachets, each weighing 500 grams, adding that preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as cannabis.

The Command image maker said that in a related operation, two additional 40-foot containers were seized, each loaded with expired pharmaceutical products illegally imported into the country. Investigations he said revealed that the importers intended to relabel and reintroduce the expired drugs, dating back to 2021, 2022, and 2023 into the Nigerian market, a move he quoted the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba as saying pose grave risks to unsuspecting consumers.

He listed the expired consignments to include antibiotics, injections, tablets, and eye drops, ranging from Cidoxilin Capsules to Oxytocin Injections and Carbamazepine Tablets.

This is even as he put the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizures at ₦12,784,479,341.72, a staggering figure that highlights the scale of attempted economic sabotage.

Speaking further on the development, Oshoba  described the seizures as proof of the Command’s enhanced intelligence capacity and unwavering vigilance. Vowing not to back down on its heightened offensive, he warned: “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.”

He emphasized that Apapa Port remains under constant surveillance, with officers resolute in their mission to protect the Nigerian economy, safeguard public health, and prevent criminal exploitation of the nation’s borders.

The Apapa Customs boss reassured Nigerians that the Command remain committed to intensify intelligence-driven operations to secure legitimate trade while shutting the door firmly against dangerous imports.

These latest interceptions reinforce Apapa Customs’ reputation as a bulwark against transnational organized crime, ensuring that Nigeria’s busiest port remains closed to illicit trade and open only to legitimate commerce.