Customs Seizes 13 Containers of Expired Drugs, Security Equipment, Other Contraband Worth ₦6.3bn at Apapa Port

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 13 containers and other contraband items containing expired pharmaceutical products, controlled drugs, food items and security equipment with a total Duty Paid Value of ₦6,381,237,988 at Apapa Port.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos, said the seizures were the result of intensified intelligence-driven enforcement, the deployment of scanning technology and targeted physical examination.

The items seized include expired pharmaceutical products such as Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, Chloroquine injections and Diclofenac tablets; large consignments of Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate; as well as 800 cartons of codeine concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware.

Other intercepted items include cartons of Artesunate injections, restricted security equipment such as bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches, as well as several containers of expired food items.

The Customs boss further disclosed that additional seizures included expired muffin cookie biscuits, 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks, and containers of expired St. Kelvin and De Truth tomato paste.

Another container contained 1,700 cartons of codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks, while a separate container carried 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine hidden alongside cartons of electric kettles. Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 347.57 kilogrammes concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle.

“Collectively, these seizures amount to ₦6,381,237,988.00 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.

“Let me state clearly that Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation,” he said.

Commenting on technology-driven enforcement, the CGG stated that physical examination still dominates cargo control procedures, reinforcing the need to expand the use of scanning technology.

According to him, 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 faster clearance for compliant traders.

“Our strategic objective is 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.

“This shift will enhance enforcement accuracy, reduce port congestion and support our broader goal of facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining robust border control”, he said.

Adeniyi emphasised that achieving this target will depend largely on the level of compliance by traders and other stakeholders within the port ecosystem, noting that as compliance improves, Customs will be able to rely more on technology-driven inspection and risk management rather than time-consuming physical examination.

“This is why we strongly encourage traders to continue improving their compliance culture and take advantage of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which provides trusted traders with predictable clearance processes and faster cargo facilitation.”

He said in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, the seized consignments are liable to outright forfeiture, while penalties would be imposed and all persons connected to the shipments would face prosecution.

The Comptroller-General, however, assured compliant traders that the enforcement actions of the service were targeted at criminal activities and not legitimate trade.

“While our mandate requires us to facilitate legitimate trade, we must also ensure that our ports are not exploited by criminal networks attempting to introduce dangerous, prohibited or falsely declared goods into the country”, he added.