The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command, on Tuesday, said it has intercepted 1.81 tonnes of cannabis, popularly known as “Canadian Loud”, and seized two containers of expired pharmaceutical products in what it described as a major intelligence-led crackdown on illicit trade and threats to public health.
The cannabis consignment, concealed in a 40-foot container, was intercepted on Monday in a joint operation involving Customs officers and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The seizure comprised 3,639 sachets of the substance, each weighing 500 grams, with a total weight of about 1,819 kilogrammes.
Preliminary tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa. According to the command, the drugs were hidden inside a Toyota vehicle, a Toyota Sienna and several bags and drums packed within the container, highlighting increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods targeting Nigeria’s seaports.
In a separate operation, the Command said it intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly destined for relabelling and reintroduction into the Nigerian market. The medicines, which had expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023, included capsules, injections, tablets and eye drops.
The command said the seizures prevented potentially harmful and ineffective drugs from reaching hospitals, pharmacies and households across the country. The combined Duty Paid Value of the confiscated items was put at ₦12.78 billion, underscoring the scale of the attempted economic sabotage and public health risk.
Speaking on the seizures, Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, warned that smugglers, drug traffickers and importers of expired pharmaceuticals would face decisive action. He said the command had the intelligence, technology and determination to identify and apprehend those involved in criminal activities.
Oshoba added that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance as the command intensifies intelligence-driven operations to protect public health, safeguard legitimate trade and strengthen national security.