The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday said that it intercepted 16 containers of hard drugs, arms, ammunition, expired pharmaceuticals, frozen poultry products, and counterfeit goods smuggled worth over N10 billion at Apapa port.
The NCS said five suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizures, three already charged and remanded at Ikoyi Prison, while two are on administrative bail pending trial.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi stated this while displaying the seized containers and its contents to journalists at the APM Terminals Examination Bay in Apapa port.
According to him, the interception followed a series of intelligence-led operations and joint enforcement activities with other agencies, notably the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
“The most significant discoveries to include, a 40-foot container with MRSU6407089, initially cleared during inspection but later found to conceal 101 kilogrammes of Colorado (Canadian Loud), two pump-action rifles with 25 cartridges, a pistol with 55 rounds of ammunition, and various accessories.
“The consignee, identified as Mr. Babatunde Ogidiolu of Lagos, is under investigation. Other seizures to include, seven containers of expired drugs and prohibited medicaments, three containers of expired food items, including margarine, three containers of used clothing, classified as absolutely prohibited and two containers, each holding 1,290 sacks of frozen poultry products,” he said.
He said also seized is a container with 305 cartons of counterfeit toothpaste concealed with beads and clothing, infringing a Nigerian company’s trademark and lacking NAFDAC registration as well as two containers of expired chest and lung tablets without NAFDAC approval.
He said others include, two newly tracked 40-foot containers loaded with codeine, linked to previous drug seizures.
He stressed that many of the implicated importers appear to be operating in coordinated criminal networks, vowing that Customs would deepen cooperation with both local and international partners to dismantle such syndicates.
“We will not allow Nigeria to become a dumping ground for illicit drugs, fake goods, and dangerous imports. Our mandate to safeguard the nation from threats to peace and security is unwavering,” Adeniyi said.
Adeniyi also reiterated the Service’s recent decision to halt the transfer of pharmaceutical containers to bonded terminals outside seaports, citing compliance failures by many operators.
He stated that future operations would remain risk-led and intelligence-driven, backed by increased deployment of non-intrusive scanning technologies
