The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 13 containers loaded with expired pharmaceuticals, codeine-based cough syrups, cannabis and other prohibited items valued at over ₦6.38 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
Speaking during a press briefing at the APM Terminals in Apapa on Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures followed intelligence-driven operations and enhanced cargo inspection processes deployed by the Service.
According to him, the consignments were intercepted after detailed scanning analysis and physical examination uncovered irregular cargo profiles in several containers.
Among the seizures were large quantities of expired pharmaceutical products including Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, chloroquine injections and diclofenac tablets. Officers also intercepted two 40-foot containers conveying Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate, which were described as unregistered pharmaceutical products.
Customs officials further discovered 800 cartons of codeine concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware in one container, while another container held 1,700 cartons of codeine cough syrup hidden among luxury food flasks.
Other seizures included expired food items such as muffin cookie biscuits, tomato paste and 36,000 cans of expired energy drinks.
In a separate interception, officers recovered 13 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 347.57 kilograms concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle.
Adeniyi said another container was found to contain restricted security equipment, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches, imported without the required End User Certificates.
He warned that the importation of expired drugs and controlled substances poses serious risks to public health and national security.
“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,” he said.
The Customs boss noted that the intercepted consignments are liable to forfeiture under the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, while individuals linked to the shipments would face prosecution.
He stressed that enforcement operations are not targeted at legitimate businesses but at criminal networks attempting to exploit Nigeria’s trade corridors.
“Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation,” Adeniyi said.
Meanwhile, the Customs Area Controller for the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba also announced the commissioning of a new analytics centre within the command headquarters to strengthen intelligence-driven customs operations.
The facility, named the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Analytical Arena, is designed to house a state-of-the-art analytics centre, the Customs Intelligence Unit and a clinic to support the welfare of personnel.
According to Oshoba, the centre will enhance data-driven border security operations while improving the capacity of officers to detect smuggling and facilitate legitimate trade at Nigeria’s busiest maritime gateway.
