By our Reporter
The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over nine containers of seized narcotics, expired pharmaceuticals and unregistered medicines with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦53.39 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The consignments were formally transferred on Wednesday in Lagos by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who described the operation as another major breakthrough in the Service’s campaign against drug trafficking and the importation of unsafe pharmaceutical products into the country.
According to Adeniyi, the seizures were made by the Apapa Area Command following painstaking intelligence gathering, scanning analysis, physical examination of cargo and sustained collaboration with the NDLEA.
The seized items include 6.7 metric tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, 339,800 bottles of Codeine syrup, expired pharmaceutical products and counterfeit medicines.
The Customs boss said the significance of the seizures extends beyond their monetary value, noting that they represent a major victory for public safety and national security.
“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,” he said.
Adeniyi commended officers and men of the Apapa Area Command for their professionalism, vigilance and commitment, while also praising the sustained collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service, NDLEA, NAFDAC and other security agencies in combating illicit trade.
He reaffirmed the Service’s determination to strengthen partnerships with both national and international stakeholders to prevent criminal syndicates from exploiting Nigeria’s ports and borders for illegal activities.
The Comptroller-General also issued a stern warning to smugglers, declaring that the country’s ports would no longer serve as safe routes for trafficking prohibited items.
“To those who seek to use our ports to traffic illicit drugs, expired pharmaceuticals or other prohibited goods, let today’s operation send a clear and unmistakable message that Nigeria’s ports are no longer a safe haven for smugglers or organised criminal networks,” he said.
Representatives of the NDLEA and NAFDAC, who received the consignments, described the handover as a significant milestone in inter-agency collaboration against transnational drug trafficking and the circulation of unsafe medicines.
They pledged to sustain joint operations with the Nigeria Customs Service to investigate offenders, dismantle criminal networks and protect Nigerians from the dangers posed by illicit drugs and counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
