The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud,” alongside two containers of expired pharmaceutical products, with the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizures put at over ₦12.78 billion.
The seizures were made through intelligence-led operations conducted by the Command in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), reinforcing ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking, illicit trade, and threats to public health and national security.
According to the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, officers intercepted a 40-foot container conveying 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, each weighing 500 grams, bringing the total weight of the illicit substance to approximately 1,819 kilograms.
He explained that the drugs were carefully concealed inside a Toyota vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as well as several bags and drums loaded within the container, in what he described as a sophisticated smuggling attempt.
In a separate operation, the Command also seized two 40-foot containers laden with expired pharmaceutical products with expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023.
The products included Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection, Becoline B-Complex Injection, Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Comptroller Oshoba said intelligence revealed that the importers intended to relabel the expired drugs and reintroduce them into the Nigerian market, posing grave health risks to unsuspecting consumers.
Speaking on the seizures, Comptroller Oshoba warned smugglers and importers of prohibited goods to desist from such criminal activities, stressing that the Command possesses the intelligence, technology and determination to detect and apprehend offenders.
“Unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress.
We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them. Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising,” he said.
He reaffirmed that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, adding that the Command would continue to intensify intelligence-driven operations to safeguard public health, facilitate legitimate trade and protect Nigeria’s economy.
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