Trending 
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted a shipment of stolen luxury vehicles smuggled from Canada and confiscated multiple containers of prohibited goods valued at N3.2 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV).
At a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the Customs Area Controller, revealed that two stolen vehicles—a 2024 Lexus RX 450 and a 2023 Lexus RX 350—were discovered concealed in a 40-foot container misdeclared as food items.
“Container No. MRKU 0904594 (40FT) was found to contain two stolen vehicles from Canada,” Olomu stated. “They were falsely declared as food items to evade detection.”
In addition to the smuggled vehicles, the command intercepted five other containers loaded with a range of prohibited goods, including illegal pharmaceuticals, unregistered cosmetics, and used clothing—violations of Nigeria’s import laws.
Container No. SUDU 8685733 (40FT): 1,698 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup hidden in 202 packages of toilet materials.
Container No. MRSU 4846204 (40FT): 1,690 cartons of codeine concealed in toilet seats.
Container No. ONEU 1153150 (40FT): 1,584 packages of Globatin anti-mark cream and 30g Clobetasol cream, falsely declared as truck tyres.
Container No. MRSU 3258823 (40FT): Unregistered drugs such as Rabeprazole, Zahifranil tablets, Vancomycin, and Cyproheptadine with Vitamin B Complex, falsely declared as kitchenware.
Container No. SEKU 4716830 (40FT): 390 bales of used clothing.
The codeine seizure alone has an estimated street value of N2.7 billion. Olomu credited the successful interceptions to coordinated efforts with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Comptroller Olomu also announced a landmark achievement in revenue collection. As of May 21, 2025, the Apapa Command has generated N1.09 trillion, surpassing the N1 trillion mark within the first five months of the year.
“On specific days, such as October 2024, we collected N18.2 billion; March 14, 2025, saw N18.9 billion; and May 20, 2025, recorded our highest yet—N18.919 billion,” Olomu reported.
In response to these crackdowns, smugglers have reportedly begun rerouting shipments through countries with no regulatory agreements with Nigeria. NDLEA’s Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, Mr. Buba Wakawa, attributed this shift to a memorandum of understanding signed with India, which curtailed the supply of codeine to Nigerian importers.
“With the MOU in place, smugglers now rely on neighbouring countries lacking such agreements,” Wakawa noted. “But ongoing collaborations are closing those loopholes.”
Olomu warned that Apapa Port would remain under strict surveillance and vowed continued enforcement.
“Let me make it clear—Apapa Port is not a haven for illegal activities,” he declared. “Our officers are fully prepared to detect concealments, seize illicit goods, and make arrests where necessary.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Kingsley Odumah, Deputy Director of Port Inspection at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), commended the inter-agency collaboration, describing it as crucial in combatting the inflow of fake and unregistered pharmaceuticals into the country.
