Customs seize ₦5.3bn drugs hidden in vehicles at Tin Can Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Command, has intercepted two containers of imported vehicles used to conceal illicit drugs valued at over ₦5.3 billion.

Comptroller Frank Onyeka, the Customs Area Controller, confirmed the seizures in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday.

According to Onyeka, the first container, HLXU8500072, which originated from Montreal, Canada, was intercepted on September 4 after detailed intelligence analysis.

A joint examination revealed 156 packets of Colorado Indica weighing 78 kilograms and 1.2 kilograms of Hashish Oil, hidden inside four imported vehicles.

The second container, FANU312876/9, was seized on October 24 following actionable intelligence.

Upon inspection, officers discovered 2,081 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 1,093 kilograms and eight packages of Crystal Methamphetamine weighing eight kilograms, all concealed in vehicles.

Onyeka stated that the total value of the seized drugs stood at ₦5.304 billion, adding that they had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

He commended the NDLEA, Nigerian Navy, Police, and other collaborating agencies for their support, stressing that the Tin Can Island Command would remain vigilant and uncompromising in enforcing customs laws and international trade regulations.

Meanwhile, at the Ports Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Command, officers also recorded significant enforcement and revenue achievements.

Comptroller Joe Anani disclosed that the command generated ₦350.3 billion between January and September 2025, representing 96.6% of its total 2024 collection.

He said a 20-foot container falsely declared as supermarket items was found to contain pharmaceutical drugs, while a 40-foot container declared as MRI apparatus was discovered to hold 6,262 cartons of antibiotics.

Two more containers of unregistered medicines were seized, one of which contained a WE Tactical Airsoft pistol, two magazines, and 12 live rounds of ammunition.

Anani explained that all the items were seized through intelligence-led operations and handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for investigation.

He added that the command generated ₦116.2 billion in the third quarter of 2025, marking a 34.3% increase over the ₦86.5 billion recorded in the same period of 2024.