Nigeria Customs Service officers at the Tin Can Island Command have intercepted a massive consignment of illicit drugs valued at ₦18.96 billion, uncovering thousands of cannabis packages concealed inside imported vehicles from Canada. The seizure followed an intelligence-led operation carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, with officials describing it as one of the command’s most significant breakthroughs in recent months.
Customs Area Controller, Frank Onyeka, said the container, marked HAMU 429961, had been falsely declared as carrying used vehicles. Acting on credible intelligence, officers conducted a full physical inspection and discovered 185 jumbo bags of cannabis hidden inside two vehicles — a 2010 Toyota Camry and a 2023 Chevrolet.
Further examination revealed 9,450 packages of cannabis weighing a total of 4,729 kilograms, with an estimated street value of ₦18.96 billion. Onyeka said the discovery underscored the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven enforcement and inter-agency cooperation, coming just days after both agencies formalised a partnership to strengthen joint operations, intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to drug trafficking.
He confirmed that the seized drugs had been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, in line with its statutory mandate. Onyeka said there would be no safe haven for smugglers, stressing that authorities were fully prepared to detect and dismantle criminal networks exploiting the country’s ports.