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Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Apapa Area Command have intercepted two containers loaded with codeine-containing syrup valued at ₦3.398 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The interception was carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, the illicit drugs were concealed inside cartons of household utensils.
Sulaiman said the seizure involved a total of 3,398 cartons of codeine syrup, equivalent to 339,800 bottles, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) estimated at ₦3,398,000,000.
He explained that one of the containers, with number MRKU 3816476, was found to contain 1,700 cartons, about 170,000 bottles, hidden among 38 cartons of pearl-plated insulated casserole and related household items.
Another container, identified as TGBU 5399178, carried 1,698 cartons, amounting to 169,800 bottles of the syrup, also concealed among 36 cartons of pearl-plated casserole.
The Customs spokesperson said both containers had been officially seized in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Reacting to the development, the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the operation reflects the command’s determination to enforce the directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
He noted that the seizure came just days after the Comptroller-General’s visit to the command, during which officers were urged to intensify efforts against criminal networks operating through the port.
“This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us. We are fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers,” he stated.
Oshoba said the latest interception shows the command’s commitment to intelligence-driven enforcement and its resolve to make Apapa Port increasingly difficult for smugglers and drug traffickers to operate.
He also commended the NDLEA for its cooperation and support in the successful operation.
According to him, the Apapa Area Command remains committed to protecting public health, strengthening national security and ensuring that only legitimate trade passes through the port, in line with the service’s push for technology-driven operations and a zero-tolerance stance on smuggling.
