The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized narcotics and expired pharmaceutical products worth ₦53.39 billion in one of its biggest anti-smuggling operations, handing the consignments over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Lagos.
The haul includes 6,778.5kg of Cannabis Indica, popularly known as “Canadian Loud”, 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup and large quantities of expired and unregistered pharmaceutical products concealed in shipping containers. Speaking during the handover at the Apapa Area Command on Wednesday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures resulted from intelligence gathering, cargo scanning and close collaboration with the NDLEA.
He described the operation as a major success in the fight against smuggling and illicit trade. Among the intercepted consignments were two 40-foot containers carrying cannabis hidden among imported vehicles, household items and vehicle spare parts, alongside containers loaded with codeine syrup concealed in cartons of insulated casserole dishes.
Customs also uncovered expired medicines and unregistered pharmaceutical products bearing fake NAFDAC registration details. “These seizures represent far more than monetary value. They represent lives protected, families preserved and communities secured,” Adeniyi said, adding that the prohibited items would be transferred to the NDLEA and NAFDAC for investigation, prosecution and regulatory action.
Receiving the narcotics, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Seaport Operations, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the cannabis seizure followed months of intelligence-led surveillance conducted with the support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
He described the interception as one of the largest in recent years and warned that law enforcement agencies would continue to pursue and prosecute those behind the smuggling network.