The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted three containers containing Cannabis Sativa and expired pharmaceutical products worth ₦12.8 billion in a major anti-smuggling operation at the Lagos port.
The seizure followed an intelligence-led operation carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). According to Customs officials, officers used risk assessment tools and intelligence gathering to identify suspicious cargo entering the country.
One of the intercepted containers, identified as CAAU7569127, was found to contain 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud.” The substance weighed about 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tons) after examination.
The drugs were concealed inside a vehicle and mixed with other items in an attempt to evade detection. Customs officials said the discovery showed the increasingly sophisticated methods used by criminal networks attempting to move prohibited goods through Nigeria’s busiest ports.
In a separate interception, two other 40-foot containers were discovered to contain expired pharmaceutical products. Authorities said some of the medicines had expiry dates from 202, 2022, and 2023, and were intended to be relabeled and introduced into the Nigerian market.
Speaking while displaying the seized items to journalists, the Customs Area Controller for Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the operation showed the importance of intelligence-based enforcement in protecting public health and national security.
Oshoba warned that importers involved in smuggling and the illegal movement of harmful substances would continue to face enforcement action. He added that the command would strengthen collaboration with other agencies to prevent dangerous products from entering Nigerian communities.
