The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Port command has Impounded 13 containers of contrabands with a duty paid value (DPV) of N6.38 billion.
The seized items Includes expired pharmaceutical products, illicit drugs, as well as cannabis sativa ( Colorado), with some expired tomato paste, among others.
Briefing Journalists on Tuesday in Lagos, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi condemned efforts of smugglers and unwholesome goods importers in the country.
Noting that Apapa port remained Nigeria’s busiest maritime gateway and one of the most strategic trade corridors in West Africa, he disclosed that in recent months, the service had been working closely with relevant government agencies and industry stakeholders to address the menance of illicit goods importation through the deployment of technology-driven enforcement tools.
He said the non-intrusive Inspection systems (scanning) have particularly helped to strengthen cargo examination procedures and improve efficiency at the ports.
“These systems enable officers to examine containerized cargo rapidly, detect anomalies in declarations and identify suspicious consignments without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate trade flows,” he said.
He also spoke about the persistent challenge of port congestion at the ports, explaining that measures such as the recent launch of the Green Channel at Lekki Deep Seaport were part of their broader strategy to accelerate cargo clearance for compliant traders and strengthen enforcement against high-risk consignments.
“As the volume of trade passing through Nigerian ports continues to grow, the responsibility placed on the Nigeria Customs Service becomes even greater. Thousands of containers pass through this port every day carrying goods that support businesses, sustain industries and drive our national economy,” he said.
“While their mandate requires them to facilitate legitimate trade, they must also ensure that our ports are not exploited by criminal networks attempting to introduce dangerous, prohibited or falsely declared goods into the country.”
Some of the expired and illicit drugs on display
Current operational data from Apapa Port shows that 3,236 consignments were processed through the Orange channel (Non-Intrusive Inspection – scanning), 5,490 through the Yellow channel (documentary checks), while a significantly higher 21,373 consignments were subjected to full physical examination under the Red channel.
Also, 1,118 consignments passed through the Blue channel and 149 through the Green channel, reflecting varying levels of facilitation based on compliance and risk profiling.
The Customs boss noted that this distribution clearly indicates that physical examination still dominates cargo control procedures, reinforcing the need to expand the use of scanning technology.
“Strengthening non-intrusive inspection and combining it with intelligence-driven risk management, will enable the Service concentrate physical examinations on high-risk shipments and facilitate faste clearance for compliant traders,” he said.
“Their strategic objective is therefore to significantly increase the proportion of cargo subjected to scanning across all major entry points in Nigeria before the end of the year, including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and other operational commands.”
The CG said the seizures made by the Apapa Command were a direct outcome of the shift toward intelligence-driven enforcement supported by scanning technology and targeted physical examination.
“Through careful risk profiling and non-intrusive inspection procedures, officers of the Service identified several containers with irregular cargo profiles that warranted further examination. What they are presenting today involves 13 containers and additional contraband items intercepted through coordinated enforcement operations,” he added.
Details of the seizures are:
a. A 40-foot container (HASU 4072659) conveying large quantities of expired pharmaceutical products including Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, Chloroquine injections and Diclofenac tablets. (b. Two 40-foot containers (MRSU 4584911 and MRSU 6913370) conveying large consignments of Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate unregistered pharmaceuticals. (c. A 20-foot container (MRKU 8830266) conveying 800 cartons of Codeine (TPL CSC) deliberately concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware. (d. A 40-foot container (MRSU 5147562) conveying cartons of Artesunate 60 injections. (e. A 20-foot container (PCIU 286888) conveying restricted security equipment without End User Certificates, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches.
Additional seizures include: (a. A 20-foot container (TCLU 3819607) conveying expired muffin cookie biscuits. (b. A 20-foot container (UGMU 8692902) containing 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks. (c. A 20-foot container (SUDU 1696593) loaded with expired St. Kelvin tomato paste. (d. Another 20-foot container (TCLU 1923314) containing expired De Truth tomato paste. (e. A 40-foot container (TCNU 7257465) containing 1,700 cartons of Codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks.
Another 40-foot container (CAAU 8375050) was found to contain 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine concealed with 156 cartons of electric kettles, alongside additional pharmaceutical seizures including 13 cartons of Bristol brand Co-codamol 500mg and 2 cartons of Zevita brand Co-codamol 500mg. Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa (Colorado) weighing 347.57kg concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Chassis No. 5TDDK3DC7DS057669.
“Collectively, these seizures amount to ₦6,38 billion worth of prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods. The importation of expired drugs and controlled substances poses a direct threat to public health, while the concealment of codeine-based products represents a calculated attempt to fuel substance abuse and undermine our healthcare system,” Adeniyi warned.
He further warned that Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation.
“In accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, these consignments are liable to outright forfeiture, while penalties will be imposed, evaded revenues recovered and all persons connected to these shipments will face prosecution.”
