The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has made a significant seizure at the Apapa Port in Lagos, intercepting 16 containers of contraband worth over N10 billion. The seized items include cannabis, firearms, expired pharmaceuticals, counterfeit goods, frozen poultry, and used clothing.
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi disclosed this at a news conference on Monday, stating that the seizures followed weeks of intelligence gathering, coordinated inspections, and inter-agency collaboration.
Adeniyi emphasized the NCS’s commitment to preventing Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for illicit goods and harming the nation’s security and public health.
The seized items include 101 kilograms of “Colorado Loud,” a potent Canadian strain of cannabis, and firearms such as two pump-action rifles with 25 cartridges and a Smith & Wesson pistol with 55 rounds of ammunition.
Additionally, the NCS seized seven containers of expired drugs and prohibited medicaments, including two containers of expired chest and lung tablets without NAFDAC registration.
The service also seized 305 cartons of counterfeit toothpaste infringing on a Nigerian brand’s intellectual property rights and lacking NAFDAC registration. This seizure highlights the NCS’s efforts to protect local industries and prevent the importation of counterfeit goods.
Two 40-foot containers containing 1,290 sacks of frozen poultry products each and three containers of prohibited used clothing were also seized. These items are prohibited due to health and environmental concerns.
It arrested five suspects in connection with the seizures, with three already charged and remanded in Ikoyi Prison, while two others are on administrative bail pending trial. Adeniyi emphasized that the NCS would continue to identify and prosecute those behind the importation of these illicit goods.
The NCS pledged to intensify collaboration with local and international partners, including NAFDAC and the NDLEA, to prevent the importation of illicit goods. This collaboration is crucial in the fight against smuggling and protecting public health.
The seizure of contraband worth over N10 billion highlights the significant impact of smuggling on the economy. The NCS’s efforts to prevent smuggling and protect local industries will help to boost economic growth and development and a significant step in the fight against smuggling.
The services’s commitment to its mandate and its collaboration with other agencies will help to prevent the importation of illicit goods and protect public health.
The NCS pledged to continue its efforts to prevent smuggling and protect local industries. The Command will intensify its collaboration with other agencies and continue to identify and prosecute those behind the importation of illicit goods.
