Customs Seize ₦12.7bn Expired Drugs and 1.8 Tonnes of Cannabis in Lagos

(The Expired drugs. Photo by PM News Nigeria)

The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has intercepted expired pharmaceutical products valued at over ₦12.7 billion and a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa weighing approximately 1.8 tonnes in separate intelligence-driven operations carried out in Lagos.

The Command stated that the illegal goods were prevented from entering the Nigerian market through coordinated efforts with sister security agencies and other regulatory bodies.

According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the seizures were achieved through credible intelligence and improved risk profiling systems.

The operations were carefully planned and executed based on intelligence sharing and collaboration with relevant agencies.

In one of the major seizures, officers intercepted a 40-foot container loaded with a substantial quantity of Cannabis Sativa.

The Command disclosed that 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance were recovered from the container, with each sachet weighing 500 grams, bringing the total estimated weight to approximately 1,819 kilograms or 1.81 tonnes.

Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa.

The drugs were concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as well as in bags and drums packed within the container.

In another operation, the Command also intercepted two 40-foot containers filled with expired pharmaceutical products reportedly intended for illegal relabelling and reintroduction into the Nigerian market.

The combined Duty Paid Value of the expired drugs stands at ₦12,784,479,341.72. The Command described the attempted importation as economic sabotage and a serious threat to public health.

Speaking on the seizures, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba issued a stern warning to those involved in smuggling activities, urging them to cease such crimes.

He described those engaged in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals as enemies of Nigeria’s progress, stating that the Command has the intelligence, technology and determination to identify and apprehend them.

Oshoba added that anyone contemplating such criminal acts should desist immediately, as the consequences would be swift, decisive and uncompromising.

He noted that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas are under continuous monitoring, with enforcement operations remaining intelligence-driven while ensuring that legitimate trade is not disrupted.