The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has handed large consignments of seized expired pharmaceutical products and food items over to, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
This is sequel to the interception of nine containers loaded with premium narcotics and expired, toxic pharmaceuticals at the Apapa Area Command.
The seized contraband, valued at a staggering ₦53.39 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV), was intercepted through high-tech scanning technology and inter-agency intelligence.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi while he was doing the handover of the contraband to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), at The Apapa Command on Wednesday, 1st of July, 2026 declared Nigerian ports’ zero tolerance for organized crime.
In his address, he said: “These seizures represent far more than monetary value. They represent lives protected, families preserved, communities secured, and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines”.
“The use of a fake registration number clearly indicates that the syndicate attempted to smuggle unregistered pharmaceutical products into the Nigerian market, posing a serious risk to public health,” Adeniyi revealed.
The seized contraband included:
1. Premium Narcotics (Cannabis Sativa)Container CAAU7569127 (40ft): Concealed 3,639 parcels of high-grade “Canadian Loud” (Cannabis Sativa), weighing 1,819.5 kilograms.
2. Controlled Mass-Abuse Subtances (Codeine)Container MRKU3816476 (40ft), which Contained 1,700 cartons (170,000 bottles) of Codeine Syrup.
3. Expired And Fake Pharmaceuticals Containers HASU4519480 And MRKU4961275 carried expired pharmaceuticals, including Tramadol (Timakadol), Oxytocin injections, Mexclor eye drops, and Carbamazepine tablets.
Container PCIU8771576 was stuffed with expired Cloxacillin capsules, Vitamin B12, and B-Complex injections.
Container TCKU7000791 carried 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules. They all carried fake registration number.
The Customs boss further said that legitimate items used to conceal contraband would not be released to importers.
“Where prohibited items were concealed alongside vehicles or other goods, only the narcotics and pharmaceuticals are being handed over. The remaining goods shall remain in the custody of Customs for forfeiture and condemnation”, he added.
