The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted 4,143.5 kilograms of Cannabis Indica with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦26,569,847,771, concealed inside a 40-foot container laden with imported used vehicles at the Apapa Port.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Isah Sulaiman, who said the interception was made during a joint examination by officers of the Apapa Area Command and personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), following credible intelligence received by the Command.
According to the statement , the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said intelligence reports prompted him to direct that 40-foot container number FANU1933352 be subjected to a comprehensive physical examination by the Command’s Enforcement Unit in collaboration with the NDLEA.
The examination, which took place on Friday, July 10, 2026, led to the discovery of a large consignment of Cannabis Indica carefully concealed alongside three imported used vehicles.
He identified the vehicles as a 2015 red Nissan Micra, a 2019 black Toyota Corolla S, and a 2015 gray Toyota Corolla.
Comptroller Oshoba disclosed that officers recovered 162 bags containing a total of 8,287 parcels of Cannabis Indica, with each parcel weighing 500 grams, bringing the total weight of the seizure to 4,143.5 kilograms.
Giving a breakdown of the concealment, the CAC said four bags of the illicit substance were discovered hidden inside the 2015 red Nissan Micra, while the remaining 158 bags were concealed beneath the floor of the container and in the spaces between the three vehicles. He noted that no illicit substances were found inside the black Toyota Corolla S or the gray Toyota Corolla.
He described the interception as another demonstration of the Apapa Area Command’s unwavering vigilance and commitment to preventing prohibited goods, especially dangerous narcotics, from entering the country through the nation’s busiest seaport.
According to him, the seizure underscores the Command’s determination to protect public health, safeguard national security and combat transnational organised crime through effective border enforcement.
The CAC said the operation was in line with the zero tolerance directive of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, against all forms of illicit trade across Nigeria’s ports and borders.
Oshoba commended officers of the Command for their diligence, professionalism and dedication in carrying out the examination that led to the seizure.
He further reassured compliant importers and other legitimate port users that the Command would continue to support lawful trade through various trade facilitation measures introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Oshoba subsequently ordered the seizure of container FANU1933352 in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and other extant laws, while investigations into the attempted importation of the illicit consignment continue.
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