The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against smuggling, seizing 16 containers packed with prohibited and dangerous goods valued at ₦10 billion at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa.
Announcing the operation, Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi revealed that the contraband included firearms, ammunition, military hardware, fake and expired drugs, and other illicit items.
Among the deadly haul were two pump-action rifles, 25 live cartridges, a Smith & Wesson pistol with 55 rounds of ammunition, and 202 cans of “Colorado Loud” a potent Canadian strain of cannabis weighing 101 kilogrammes in total.
The illegal cargo, hidden inside a 40-foot container consigned to one Babatunde Ogidiolu of Lagos, had initially passed clearance before a secondary joint security inspection exposed its true contents.
Other seizures were equally alarming: Seven containers of expired drugs and banned medicaments, Three containers of expired margarine, Three containers of prohibited used clothing, Two containers of expired chest and lung tablets without NAFDAC registration numbers
Multiple containers of frozen poultry products, 305 cartons of counterfeit toothpaste concealed among beads and clothing, Two containers of codeine syrup linked to earlier busts.
Adeniyi credited the success to a blend of intelligence gathering, advanced technology, and close collaboration with other security agencies.
He stressed that the operation underscores the NCS’s unyielding commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders, protecting public health, and enforcing trade laws.
“These seizures are not just about monetary value; they are about protecting lives, ensuring national security, and preserving the integrity of our economy,” Adeniyi affirmed.
