Customs uncovers N16.7bn contraband shipment in Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted another major consignment of illicit drugs worth N16.7 billion at the Lagos Port Complex, barely two weeks after a similar seizure was announced at the port. Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island […]
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted another major consignment of illicit drugs worth N16.7 billion at the Lagos Port Complex, barely two weeks after a similar seizure was announced at the port.
Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, said the latest interception was carried out through intelligence sharing and collaboration between the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to him, officers of the Enforcement Unit intercepted a 40-foot container marked HAMU 247034/8 and subjected it to detailed physical examination following credible intelligence reports jointly gathered by both agencies.
He disclosed that the container, which originated from Canada, was found to contain 8,347 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 4,173.5 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N16.694 billion.
Onyeka noted that the seizure represented a deliberate attempt by criminal syndicates to undermine national security and endanger the lives of Nigerians, especially young people.
“Thankfully, due to the vigilance and professionalism of our officers and partner agencies, that consignment will not get to the streets,” he stated.
The Tin-Can Customs Command boss stressed that the Command would intensify surveillance, strengthen intelligence gathering and sustain collaboration with the NDLEA and other security agencies to prevent Nigerian ports from being used for illegal importation.
He also warned that individuals and insiders aiding criminal activities at the ports would be identified, traced and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Onyeka commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, for strengthening inter-agency cooperation in the fight against illicit drugs and smuggling.
Receiving the seized drugs on behalf of the NDLEA, the Director of Seaport Operations, ACGN Ibinabo Archie Abia, described the interception as a major victory against transnational criminal networks involved in drug trafficking.
She said the recovered substances had tested positive for Cannabis Indica and would undergo legal forfeiture procedures in line with the law.
Abia revealed that the successful operation was the outcome of months of intelligence gathering, surveillance and international collaboration involving Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
According to her, the container originated from Toronto, Canada, before passing through Montreal and Tanger Med Port en route to Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
She added that traffickers deliberately changed routes multiple times in a bid to evade security monitoring before the consignment was eventually intercepted on arrival in Nigeria.
The NDLEA official praised the professionalism and resilience of officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other security agencies involved in the operation.
She further noted that the latest seizure followed recent interceptions of 4,729 kilograms of Cannabis Indica on April 27 and another 610.5 kilograms on April 30, 2026, highlighting the growing success of intelligence-driven anti-narcotics operations at the nation’s seaports.