Apapa Customs Seizes ₦12.78bn Worth of Cannabis, Expired Drugs in Major Anti-Smuggling Operation
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted illicit drugs and expired pharmaceutical products with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over ₦12.78 billion in what officials described as a major blow to transnational criminal networks operating through Nigeria's busiest seaport.
The seizures, which included 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as "Canadian Loud" and two containers of expired medical products, underscore the Command's intensified intelligence-driven enforcement efforts aimed at safeguarding public health, national security, and the economy.
According to the Command, officers acting on credible intelligence and supported by advanced risk assessment tools, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 40-foot container (No. CAAU7569127) on June 15, 2026, at about 12:00 p.m.
A physical examination of the container revealed 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as well as several bags and drums loaded within the container. Each sachet weighed 500 grams, bringing the total weight of the seized drugs to approximately 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes).
Preliminary field tests conducted on the substance returned positive results for Cannabis Sativa.
The Customs Command said the interception demonstrated its growing capacity to detect and dismantle sophisticated smuggling operations 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 intended for relabelling and distribution in the Nigerian market.
One of the containers, numbered PCIU8771576, contained expired pharmaceutical products including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.
The second container, numbered MRKU4961275, contained expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Investigations revealed that the products had expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023, raising concerns that they could have been reintroduced into circulation and posed serious health risks to unsuspecting consumers.
Customs noted that the seizures prevented potentially harmful and ineffective medications from reaching hospitals, pharmacies and households across the country.
Speaking on the development, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, issued a stern warning to those involved in smuggling and trafficking 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 warned that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, stressing that officers of the Command remain committed to protecting the Nigerian economy, safeguarding public health and preventing criminal exploitation of the nation's borders.
He reassured Nigerians that the Command would continue to intensify intelligence-led operations to protect lives, facilitate legitimate trade and uphold national security.
The Command attributed the successful interceptions to its enforcement strategy anchored on intelligence gathering, strategic profiling, data analysis and robust collaboration with relevant security and regulatory agencies.
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