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The Nigeria Customs Service Apapa Area Command has seized 4,143.5 kilograms of cannabis indica valued at N26.5 billion, concealed inside three used vehicles loaded into a 40-foot container.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, made the disclosure on Tuesday, revealing that the interception was made during a joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
He disclosed that officers discovered the drugs on July 10, 2026, following credible intelligence that prompted a thorough examination of container number FANU1933352. The container held a red 2015 Nissan Micra, a black 2019 Toyota Corolla S, and a gray 2015 Toyota Corolla.
What Customs is saying
Oshoba said a detailed search uncovered 162 bags containing 8,287 parcels of cannabis indica, each parcel weighing 500 grams.
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Four bags were found inside the red Nissan Micra, while the remaining 158 bags were recovered from the container floor and in the spaces between the vehicles. No drugs were found in the two Toyota Corollas.
He said the drugs were deliberately positioned to evade being detected, using the vehicles as cover. He described the operation as evidence of the command’s intelligence-driven enforcement approach.
- “The drugs were carefully concealed within the container to evade detection by security agencies,” he said.
- “The drugs were strategically packed to maximise concealment while using the vehicles as cover,” he added.
- “This seizure demonstrates our commitment to ensuring only lawful trade thrives at Apapa Port. We have made this port a no-go area for anything forbidden by our laws,” Oshoba concluded.
He said the operation aligned with the zero-tolerance directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, against all forms of illicit trade at Nigerian ports, and commended his officers for their professionalism during the joint examination with NDLEA.
More insights
Oshoba said investigation into the matter is ongoing to identify and prosecute those behind the shipment, and that the container and its entire contents have been seized in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other applicable laws.
He said synergy with NDLEA was critical to the successful interception, and reaffirmed the command’s resolve to facilitate legitimate trade while strictly enforcing laws against the importation of prohibited and restricted goods through Apapa Port.
He urged compliant traders to remain confident, assuring them of continued trade facilitation incentives provided by the Comptroller-General to support legitimate business operations.
What you should know
The latest interception adds to a series of recent enforcement actions by the Apapa Area Command aimed at curbing the entry of prohibited and improperly declared goods through Nigeria’s busiest port.
- Earlier this year, Nairametrics reported that the Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 13 containers carrying expired drugs, food products and restricted security equipment valued at N6.38 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
- The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, said the seizures were made as part of intensified intelligence-driven enforcement operations by the command, supported by the use of scanning technology and targeted physical inspections of suspicious consignments.
He said the operation uncovered several prohibited, expired, and falsely declared items, including pharmaceutical products, codeine-based medicines, expired food items, restricted security equipment and cannabis concealed within imported cargo.
