Once again, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, showcases smuggled illicit drugs and Fake Pharmaceutical items intercepted by the Apapa Area 1 Customs Command, Lagos said to be worth over₦53.39 billion
By Innocent Chukwu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted nine containers filled with illicit drugs, expired pharmaceuticals, and counterfeit medical products valued at ₦53.39 billion at Apapa Port, Lagos.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, announced the seizure during a formal handover ceremony at the Apapa Area Command, Lagos. Adeniyi explained that the operation was driven by intelligence gathering, cargo scanning, physical examination, and collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
A breakdown of seized items included Cannabis Sativa (‘Canadian Loud’) in two 40-foot containers concealed with vehicles, household items, and spare parts, 3,639 parcels weighing 1,819.5kg, and 9,918 sachets weighing about 4.95 metric tonnes.
The illicit pharmaceutical products included two containers with 339,800 bottles hidden inside cartons of insulated casserole dishes, three containers containing Tramadol, Oxytocin injections, Carbamazepine tablets, Cloxicillin capsules, Vitamin B12, and B-Complex injections.
The counterfeit products intercepted included one container of Piccan Teething Powder flagged for regulatory action, one container with 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake NAFDAC number.
Dr. Adeniyi emphasized that the seizures represent more than monetary value:
“They represent lives protected, families preserved, communities secured, and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines.”
He added that concealment methods show criminal syndicates are exploiting legitimate trade, but Customs now has the intelligence, technology, and operational readiness to dismantle such networks.
The CGC disclosed that the narcotics will be handed over to NDLEA for investigation and prosecution while expired and fake pharmaceuticals will go to NAFDAC for regulatory action and safe disposal. He added that legitimate goods used for concealment, such as vehicles and spare parts, will be processed accordingly.
