The Nigeria Customs Service Apapa Area Command has intercepted two containers laden with codeine-based cough syrup valued at ₦3.398 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos, in a major anti-smuggling operation carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Customs Area Controller of the Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, disclosed that the seizure was made on Sunday, March 15, 2026, during a joint enforcement operation targeting illicit drug trafficking through the nation’s busiest seaport.
According to Oshoba, the two containers contained a total of 3,398 cartons—equivalent to 339,800 bottles—of codeine-containing syrup carefully concealed inside shipments declared as household utensils.
He explained that one of the containers, with number MRKU 3816476, contained 1,700 cartons of the syrup hidden among 38 cartons of pearl-plating insulated casserole and bullet-insulated hotspots, while the second container, numbered TGBU 5399178, held 1,698 cartons concealed with 36 cartons of pearl-plating casserole.
The seized items, he said, have a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦3,398,000,000 and have been officially converted to seizure in line with provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Oshoba described the interception as a clear demonstration of the Command’s commitment to the enforcement directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
He noted that the seizure came barely five days after the Comptroller-General’s visit to Apapa Port, where he warned smugglers and criminal networks against using legitimate trade channels to traffic illicit substances.
“This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us,” Oshoba said.
He added that the Command remains fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers.
The Customs chief also commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for its seamless collaboration and operational support during the interception.
He reaffirmed that the Apapa Area Command would sustain efforts to protect public health, safeguard national security and ensure that only legitimate trade passes through the port, in line with the Customs Service’s renewed emphasis on technology-driven operations and zero tolerance for smuggling.
The seizure underscores the ongoing crackdown by the Nigeria Customs Service on the smuggling of controlled pharmaceutical products through the country’s ports.
