…Nigeria Customs Service also intercepted a container with 1,290 sacks of frozen poultry products.
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 16 containers loaded with arms, expired pharmaceuticals, frozen poultry products, and other contraband, with a duty-paid value exceeding ₦10 billion.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday while showcasing the seized items to journalists at the Apapa Command.
“Today, it gives me pleasure to announce the seizure of 16 containers of goods whose importation violates our laws and threatens our collective peace and security,” Adeniyi said.
According to him, the operation followed credible intelligence that led to the inspection of a 40-foot container with registration number MRSU6407089. Initial checks suggested the cargo was clean, but a joint secondary search by NCS officers and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered 202 cans of “Colorado loud,” a potent strain of cannabis from Canada, weighing 101 kilograms.
Further scanning revealed an alarming cache of weapons, including two pump-action rifles, 25 cartridges, one Smith & Wesson pistol with 55 rounds of ammunition, and other accessories.
Beyond the arms and drugs, the seizures included seven containers of expired and prohibited medications, three containers of expired margarine, and three containers of banned used clothing.
Over the weekend, the NCS also intercepted a container with 1,290 sacks of frozen poultry products, alongside another similar consignment in a separate 40-foot container.
An additional seizure involved 305 cartons of counterfeit toothpaste concealed among beads and jalabiya garments an infringement of a Nigerian company’s intellectual property rights. “Because these products were also not registered by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, in addition to the brand infringement, they are subject to seizure,” Adeniyi explained.
Also seized were two 40-foot containers of codeine syrup linked to the same owners as previous smuggling attempts. Adeniyi confirmed that five suspects had been arrested, with three already charged and remanded at Ikoyi Prison pending trial.
He assured that the Customs Service would continue working with both local and international partners to dismantle smuggling networks. “We will ensure that Nigeria does not become a dumping ground for them,” he vowed.
