The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Command, has intercepted two containers of imported vehicles used to conceal illicit drugs valued at over N5.3 billion.
Comptroller Frank Onyeka, the Customs Area Controller, confirmed the seizures in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to Onyeka, the first container, HLXU8500072, which originated from Montreal, Canada, was intercepted on September 4 after intelligence analysis. A joint examination uncovered 156 packets of Colorado Indica weighing 78 kilograms and 1.2 kilograms of Hashish Oil hidden inside four imported vehicles.
He added that the second container, FANU312876/9, was seized on October 24 following actionable intelligence received by the command. The inspection revealed 2,081 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 1,093 kilograms and eight packages of Crystal Methamphetamine weighing eight kilograms, also concealed in vehicles.
Onyeka stated that the intercepted drugs, with a total value of N5.304 billion, had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.
“The Nigeria Customs Service, Tin Can Island Command, has intercepted two containers of vehicles used to conceal illicit drugs worth over N5.3 billion.
“The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, confirmed the seizures in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday,” the NAN report read in part.
It added, “Onyeka said the narcotics had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for investigation and prosecution.”
He commended the NDLEA, the Nigerian Navy, the Police, and other collaborating agencies for their support during the operation. The comptroller reiterated that the Tin Can Island Command would remain vigilant and uncompromising in enforcing Nigeria’s customs laws and international trade conventions.
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At the Ports Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Command, officers intercepted multiple containers of unregistered medicines and arms while also recording strong revenue performance.
Comptroller Joe Anani said the command generated N350.3 billion between January and September 2025, representing 96.64% of the total revenue collected in 2024.
- He explained that a 20-foot container falsely declared as supermarket items was found to contain pharmaceutical drugs, while another 40-foot container declared as MRI apparatus held 6,262 cartons of antibiotics.
- Two additional containers of unregistered medicines were seized, including one that contained a WE Tactical Airsoft pistol, two magazines, and 12 rounds of live ammunition.
Anani said the seizures were made through intelligence-led enforcement and were handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for investigation. He added that the command generated N116.2 billion in the third quarter of 2025 alone, up 34.3% from the N86.5 billion recorded in the same period of 2024.
