CUSTOMS INTERCEPTS 1.8 TONNES OF CANNABIS, EXPIRED DRUGS WORTH N12.8BN
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted expired pharmaceutical products allegedly meant for illegal circulation in the Nigerian market and seized 1.8 tonnes of Cannabis sativa in separate intelligence-led operations conducted in collaboration with sister security agencies.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Isah Sulaiman, and published on the Nigeria Customs Service’s official X account on Friday.
Sulaiman said the seizures were made through credible intelligence gathering, enhanced risk profiling systems, and joint operations with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant regulatory agencies.
According to him, the Command intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly intended for illegal re-labelling and reintroduction into the market.
“The Command intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly intended for illegal re-labelling and reintroduction into circulation. The Command stated that the combined Duty Paid Value of the intercepted expired pharmaceuticals is N12,784,479,341.72, describing the attempted importation as a significant act of economic sabotage and a threat to public health.
“In one of the major interceptions, officers of the Command seized a 40-foot container numbered CAAU7569127, which was found to contain a large consignment of Cannabis sativa, popularly referred to as ‘Canadian loud.’
“The Command revealed that a total of 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance were recovered, each weighing 500 grammes, for a total estimated weight of about 1,819 kilogrammes (1.81 tonnes).”
Sulaiman added that preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis sativa, noting that the drugs were “concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as well as within bags and drums packed inside the container.”
Speaking on the seizures, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, warned smugglers and traffickers to desist from criminal activities.
He said “unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress”.
Oshoba added, “We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them. Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should desist immediately, because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising.”
The Customs boss further assured that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, stressing that enforcement operations would continue to be intelligence-driven while ensuring that legitimate trade activities are not disrupted.
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