Customs seizes N53.39bn worth of drugs, expired medicines, as Adeniyi commends Apapa Port Command for professionalism

By Editor

Nigeria Customs Service NCS has intercepted illicit drugs and expired pharmaceutical products with a Duty Paid Value DPV of over ₦53.39 billion at the Apapa Area Command. This was contained in a statement made to the media yesterday. 

Speaking during the formal handover of the seized narcotics and expired medicines on Wednesday at the Apapa Area Command, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures underscored the Service’s growing intelligence and enforcement capacity in combating transnational criminal networks. 

While giving kudos to the Apapa Command, Adeniyi described the seizure as one of its most significant anti-smuggling operations aimed at protecting public health and national security.

The Customs boss explained that the operation, carried out through intelligence gathering, scanning technology, physical examination and close collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, resulted in the interception of nine containers laden with narcotics, counterfeit and expired pharmaceutical products.

Among the seizures were two 40-foot containers carrying large consignments of Cannabis Sativa concealed alongside imported vehicles, household items and automobile spare parts. 

One of the containers contained 3,639 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, Canadian Loud weighing 1,819.5 kilograms, while the second concealed 9,918 sachets of Cannabis Sativa weighing approximately 4.95 metric tonnes.

The Service also intercepted two containers conveying 3,398 cartons of Codeine Syrup, equivalent to 339,800 bottles, hidden inside cartons of insulated casserole dishes.

In addition, Customs uncovered three containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products, including Tramadol, Oxytocin injections, Carbamazepine tablets, Cloxicillin capsules, Vitamin B12 injections and B-Complex injections, all of which have been slated for regulatory action.

Another container carrying Piccan Teething Powder was also seized.

A further breakthrough came with the interception of a container conveying 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake registration number purportedly issued by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC.

According to Adeniyi, although the consignment initially appeared legitimate, detailed verification revealed that the products were never registered with NAFDAC, indicating a deliberate attempt to smuggle unregistered medicines into the Nigerian market.

He said the use of forged regulatory documents posed a serious threat to public health and justified the seizure under the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

“The cumulative Duty Paid Value of these nine seizures stands at ₦53,391,140,029,” Adeniyi disclosed.

He stressed that the value of the seizures extended far beyond their monetary worth.

“These seizures represent lives protected, families preserved, communities secured and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines,” he said.

The Comptroller-General noted that the sophisticated concealment methods employed by smugglers reflected their determination to exploit legitimate trade channels for criminal activities, but insisted that Customs now possesses the intelligence capability, technological tools and operational readiness to detect and dismantle such networks.

He announced that all narcotic drugs seized would be formally handed over to the NDLEA for investigation and prosecution, while expired and counterfeit pharmaceutical products would be transferred to NAFDAC for further regulatory action and safe disposal.

Adeniyi clarified that where prohibited items were concealed alongside imported vehicles or other legitimate goods, only the narcotics and pharmaceutical products would be transferred to the relevant agencies, while the remaining items would remain under Customs custody for forfeiture, revenue recovery and other enforcement procedures.

The Customs chief commended officers and men of the Apapa Area Command for their professionalism and vigilance, while also praising the sustained collaboration between the NCS, NDLEA, NAFDAC and other security agencies.

He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with government institutions, the private sector and international organisations to prevent criminal syndicates from exploiting Nigeria’s ports and borders.

Warning smugglers, Adeniyi declared that Nigeria’s ports were no longer safe havens for traffickers of illicit drugs, counterfeit medicines and other prohibited goods.

He said the Service would continue to leverage intelligence, technology and coordinated border management to intercept, expose and prosecute offenders while facilitating legitimate trade and protecting public health and national security.