The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on transnational organised crime, illicit trade, and threats to national security and public health with the interception of 1.8 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud,” alongside two containers of expired pharmaceutical products.
The seizures were made during separate intelligence-led operations carried out by the Command in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant security agencies.
According to the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, officers acting on credible intelligence on June 15, 2026, intercepted a 40-foot container (No. CAAU7569127) concealing 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, each weighing 500 grams, with a total estimated weight of 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes).
The illicit drugs were expertly concealed inside a black Toyota vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as well as several bags and drums loaded within the container. Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa.
Comptroller Oshoba described the interception as a testament to the Command’s enhanced intelligence capabilities and its determination to dismantle sophisticated smuggling networks exploiting Nigeria’s seaports.
In a related operation, Customs officers also intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly imported for relabelling and illegal reintroduction into the Nigerian market.
One of the containers (No. PCIU8771576) contained expired medical products, including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.
The second container (No. MRKU4961275) was found to contain expired Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets, among other pharmaceutical products with expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023.
The Command disclosed that the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized cannabis and expired pharmaceuticals stands at ₦12,784,479,341.72.
Customs noted that the interception prevented dangerous and ineffective medicines from finding their way into hospitals, pharmacies and households across the country, thereby safeguarding public health.
Speaking on the seizures, Comptroller Oshoba warned smugglers and their collaborators to abandon criminal activities, stressing that the Command possesses the intelligence, technology and operational capacity to detect and intercept illegal consignments.
“Unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress. We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them. Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising. Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage or public health endangerment,” he said.
The Customs boss further assured Nigerians that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, adding that the Command will continue to intensify intelligence-driven enforcement operations while facilitating legitimate trade in line with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy.
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