The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, has intercepted prohibited goods and contraband worth more than ₦6.19 billion in duty-paid value during a four-week anti-smuggling operation. The seizures, which involved 195 separate smuggling attempts, were announced by the Acting Controller of FOU Zone A, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, during his maiden press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday.
Among the items intercepted were 23,220 unpermitted new machetes, 1,250 live cartridges and a large consignment of narcotics, including 5,986 parcels weighing 3,407.83kg of cannabis varieties, such as Colorado, 400 grammes of cocaine and 100 grammes of methamphetamine.
Other seized goods included 4,326 bags of foreign rice in various sizes, 6,949 cartons of imported spaghetti, 101 bags of imported sugar, 20 cartons of couscous and 250 cartons of unregistered locally produced sardines. The operation also led to the interception of 498 bales and jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing, 21 foreign-used vehicles and 8,025 litres of premium motor spirit.
In another seizure, customs operatives intercepted a 40-foot container carrying 270 completely knocked-down (CKD) office chairs allegedly misdeclared as raw materials to evade import duties. The unit also rescued eight live pangolins from illegal traffickers. Citing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report, Afeni warned about the harmful effects of potent cannabis and other illicit substances, particularly on young people.
He confirmed that the seized narcotics and six suspects had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution. Beyond the seizures, the unit recovered ₦683,663,304 in government revenue through compliance checks, risk profiling, cargo re-examinations and demand notices issued over under-declared imports.
The revenue recovery covered the period from 30 September 2026 to early November.