The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over seized narcotic drugs and expired pharmaceutical products worth N53.39 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The seizures, made by the Apapa Area Command, comprised nine containers intercepted through intelligence gathering, scanning, physical examination and collaboration with the NDLEA.
Speaking during the handover at the Apapa Port on Wednesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the operation reflected the Service’s commitment to protecting Nigerians from illicit drugs and unsafe medicines.
He said the seizures included two containers conveying Cannabis Sativa concealed among imported vehicles, household items and automobile spare parts.
One container held 3,639 parcels of Cannabis Sativa (Canadian Loud) weighing 1,819.5kg, while another contained 9,918 sachets weighing about 4.95 metric tonnes.
Customs also intercepted two containers loaded with 3,398 cartons containing 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup concealed inside cartons of insulated casserole dishes.
Three other containers were found with expired pharmaceutical products, including Tramadol, Oxytocin injections, Carbamazepine tablets, eye drops, Cloxicillin capsules and Vitamin B12 injections.
Also seized were a container of Piccan Teething Powder and another carrying 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules bearing a fake NAFDAC registration number.
Adeniyi said verification showed the product was not registered with NAFDAC despite documents presented by the importer.
“The use of a fake registration number and supporting documentation clearly indicates a deliberate attempt to smuggle unregistered pharmaceutical products into the Nigerian market, thereby posing a serious risk to public health,” he said.
He described the seizures as more than a financial loss to smugglers.
“They represent lives protected, families preserved, communities secured and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines.”
The Customs boss commended officers of the Apapa Area Command and partner agencies, saying the Service would continue to strengthen intelligence and collaboration to stop criminal networks from exploiting Nigeria’s ports.
“Every intelligence lead will be pursued, every violation thoroughly investigated and every offender brought to justice in accordance with the law,” Adeniyi said.
On his part, Apapa Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, warned smugglers that Nigeria’s ports were no longer safe havens for illicit drugs, expired pharmaceuticals and other prohibited goods, stressing that the Service would continue to deploy intelligence and technology to frustrate criminal networks.
The CAC also assured of stronger inter-agency collaboration, saying the Service would continue to work closely with the NDLEA, NAFDAC and other security agencies to safeguard public health, protect the nation’s borders and facilitate legitimate trade.
He formally handed over the seized narcotic drugs to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, while the expired and fake pharmaceutical products were transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action and safe disposal.
Representing the NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the Director of Seaport Operations, Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics, Ibinabo Archie-Abia, described the handover as a landmark in the growing collaboration between the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service.
She said the 6,778.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Indica, popularly known as Canadian Loud, were intercepted through months of intelligence-led operations involving the NDLEA, Customs and international partners, particularly the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Archie-Abia said the Agency remained committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those behind the illicit consignment, while strengthening intelligence-sharing and inter-agency collaboration to dismantle drug trafficking networks and secure Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Similarly, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Ports Inspection Directorate, Dr. Olakunle Olaniran, said the Agency would immediately take custody of the expired and fake pharmaceutical products for destruction to prevent them from reaching the public.
He said the growing collaboration between NAFDAC and the Nigeria Customs Service, backed by improved intelligence and technology, had left smugglers with fewer places to hide and strengthened efforts to intercept harmful products at the nation’s ports.
Olaniran also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant by checking product labels, NAFDAC registration numbers and other essential information before making purchases, adding: “If you see something, say something.”
