The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 12 containers containing surveillance drones, cannabis, controlled pharmaceutical products, expired goods and other prohibited items with a combined duty-paid value of ₦43.59 billion at Apapa Port, Lagos.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizures on Thursday while briefing maritime journalists. He said the intercepted items would be handed over to relevant government agencies for further investigation and appropriate action.
Adeniyi explained that the seizures demonstrated the Customs Service’s responsibilities beyond revenue collection, stressing that the agency also plays a major role in protecting Nigeria’s borders, securing the supply chain and preventing unsafe or restricted goods from entering the country.
“The Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 charges this Service with more than the collection of revenue. It places on us the security of the supply chain, the protection of the border and the safety of what enters this country,” Adeniyi said.
He added: “Revenue is the part of our work that is counted publicly each quarter. The other part is measured in what never reaches the street, and it is that part I am reporting today.”
The Customs boss said the Federal Government’s approach to national security requires different institutions to work together because prohibited goods, narcotics and restricted equipment can enter through the same channels and may be handled by the same criminal networks.
“This administration has approached national security as a whole-of-government undertaking, in which each institution holding a piece of the problem is expected to act on it and to act with the others.
“The seaport is where several of those pieces meet. Narcotics, controlled pharmaceuticals, restricted equipment and unsafe goods arrive in the same containers, through the same agents, under the same false declarations, and they are frequently handled by the same syndicates.
“What has changed in recent years is the method. Concealment is now built into otherwise legitimate consignments. Narcotics are packed among vehicle spare parts and used vehicles. Controlled drugs travel beneath household goods. Restricted equipment is declared as ordinary electronics.”
Adeniyi said the Service had strengthened its cargo profiling and risk-assessment systems to detect such consignments. He noted that the B’Odogwu platform had been deployed to support trade-data analysis, while an INTERPOL Data Centre was established at Customs headquarters in Abuja in July.
According to him, the centre is the eighth of its kind on the African continent and gives Customs officers access to more than 152 international databases.
He also disclosed that Customs had strengthened cooperation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Office of the National Security Adviser and international security partners.
12 Containers Intercepted
According to the Comptroller-General, 12 containers were intercepted during intelligence-led operations at the Apapa Area Command. He said the seizures were grouped into three major categories: narcotics and controlled pharmaceuticals, security-sensitive equipment, and expired products intended for human use.
“The total duty paid value of the seizures is ₦43,588,618,859.00. For the public record, the items presented today are as follows: HAMU 3086682. 1 x 40ft. 4,777 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 2,388.5kg, packed in 2 cartons, 48 jumbo bags and 40 drums; assorted automobile spare parts; one carton of coffee mix; 8 cartons of oats; and three vehicles.
“FANU 1933352. 1 x 40ft. 8,287 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 4,145kg, packed in 162 bags; and three vehicles.
“MSKU 3941778. 1 x 20ft. 2,181 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 1,090.5kg, packed in 5 cartons; 148 bags of foreign parboiled rice; assorted automobile spare parts; 2 boxes of lithium batteries; 1 carton of PV combiner box; 19 cartons of turmeric; 33 cartons of mangala fish; and 11 cartons of butterfly fish.”
He further listed a 40-foot container, TCKU 7653306, containing 1,700 cartons with 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup concealed beneath household items.
Another intercepted container, MSKU 9282528, contained two cartons holding 108 high-definition dual-camera drones.
Other containers contained 425 bales, 435 bales and 422 bales of used clothing, respectively, while additional containers were loaded with expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.
7.6 Tonnes of Cannabis Seized
The three containers containing narcotics held a combined 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg, equivalent to about 7.6 tonnes.
Adeniyi said the quantity represented a significant threat considering the potential scale of the illegal drug market it could have supplied.
“The abuse of prohibited substances like codeine among young Nigerians has been the subject of national concern for years, and its connection to violent conduct, to family breakdown and to the loss of productive lives is well documented.
“A single container of this size would have supplied that trade for a considerable period. Cannabis interceptions are the product of inter-agency work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, supported by credible intelligence from international security partners. That intelligence was analysed and acted upon here, through cargo profiling, documentary scrutiny and targeted examination by officers of this Service. I thank the NDLEA and our international partners for their cooperation.”
Drones Raise Security Concerns
The Customs boss also highlighted the interception of 108 dual-camera drones, saying that although drones have legitimate civilian applications, they could become a security risk if placed in the wrong hands.
“We also extracted 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones from an intercepted container. Drones have lawful uses, and this Service has no quarrel with them. But equipment of this kind, in the wrong hands, becomes a means of surveillance, of reconnaissance and of delivery, and our security agencies have already met it in that role in the field.”
He warned importers of restricted and security-sensitive equipment to obtain the necessary approvals and documentation before bringing such items into Nigeria.
“Let me be plain with importers. Restricted and security sensitive equipment requires the appropriate security approvals, end-user certificates and documentation before clearance. Consignments of that character that arrive without them will be detained. Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country.”
Expired Goods Intercepted
Five containers were also found to contain expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.
Adeniyi warned that such products could expose consumers to serious risks because they are either consumed or applied to the body.
“Five containers were loaded with expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies. These are products applied to the body and consumed by households. Their importation after expiry places children, women and other consumers at risk of harm.”
He said the seized items would be transferred to the appropriate agencies for further action, while assuring Nigerians that Customs would continue facilitating legitimate trade.
“The seized items will be handed over to the relevant narcotics agencies for further action and closure, at the same time, the public is encouraged to go on with their legitimate activities and be rest assured that Customs will continue to ensure continued and quick movement of legitimate trade.
“Let me also commend the officers and men of the Apapa Area Command for the vigilance and professionalism that produced these results, and I thank the NDLEA, NAFDAC and our international partners for their cooperation. Our ports must serve lawful commerce, industrial growth and the prosperity of this country.”
Source: Nigeria Customs Service
