Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, has seized contraband items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6.77 billion in a renewed crackdown on smuggling and illicit trade activities along the nation’s borders.
The Area Comptroller of the command, Mr. Olukayode Afeni, disclosed this on Wednesday during a news conference in Idiroko, Ogun State, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Afeni said the command recorded dozens of interceptions within just 41 days, as customs operatives intensified intelligence-led operations targeting smuggling routes and illegal trade networks across the state.
What they are saying
Afeni said the seizures included 1,759 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 2,685 kegs of 25-litre vegetable oil, 14,550 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 216 cartons of 20kg Basmati rice, and 66 bales of second-hand clothing.
- Other items recovered were 205 packs of footwear, 46 bags of foreign sugar, 77 cartons of Analgin injection, 16 cartons of organic honey, 50 cartons of expired seasoning cubes, 858 packs of macaroni, two sacks of spaghetti, and six pangolins.
According to him, the cumulative Duty Paid Value of all the seized items stood at N6.77 billion.
Afeni also disclosed that the command generated N125.43 million into the Federation Account through baggage assessments and the auction of seized petroleum products.
He noted that the seizures were made at various locations across Ogun through intensive intelligence-driven operations.
- Reaffirming the command’s resolve to combat smuggling and protect the country’s economic interests, Afeni said, “The command remains steadfast in its mission to secure the land borders, fortify the national economy and dismantle illicit trade networks.”
Get up to speed
The latest interception comes barely a week after customs operatives, under ‘Operation Hawk,’ intercepted 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing 1,540 kilograms alongside other prohibited items, including explosives, petrol, and ‘Ghana Loud,’ with the total seizures valued at more than N5.5 billion.
During the operation, officers also intercepted four cylinders of mercury weighing 80kg each — a hazardous substance regulated under the Minamata Convention — which authorities said would be transferred to relevant environmental agencies for proper handling.
- In a separate operation, customs operatives recovered cocaine valued at N2.35 billion from a 71-year-old suspect along a major smuggling corridor.
What you should know
The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified its anti-smuggling operations in recent months as it moves to curb the influx of contraband goods, illicit drugs, and environmentally harmful products into the country.
- In February, the service intercepted synthetic cannabis and other contraband items worth N3.3 billion in Lagos.
- Items seized during the operation included 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice — equivalent to about 12 trailer loads — foreign sugar, used vehicles, vegetable oil, Premium Motor Spirit, used clothing, and a 20-foot container loaded with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
Customs officers also intercepted 3,029 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing about 1,431 kilograms, in what officials described as a major disruption of criminal supply chains fueling insecurity across the country.
- The command further rescued four live pangolins, which were handed over to wildlife authorities, while 581 used refrigerator compressors were confiscated over environmental and public health concerns.
Between December 10, 2025, and February 2, 2026, the command also recovered N36.89 million through demand notices issued for cargo misdeclaration and other trade compliance violations.
