The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has intercepted 13 containers loaded with prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6,381,237,988.00
The seizures were announced by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, during a press briefing at the APM Terminals Apapa, where he disclosed that the contraband items were intercepted through intelligence-driven enforcement and scanning technology.
Adeniyi described the seizure as a major breakthrough in the Service’s intensified cargo monitoring operations.
According to him, the containers were flagged through risk profiling and non-intrusive inspection systems before physical examination revealed a range of illicit items, including expired pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, restricted security equipment and other consumables.
He recalled that over the past year, the Service had intensified the deployment of technology-driven enforcement tools, particularly Non-Intrusive Inspection systems (scanning), to strengthen cargo examination procedures and improve efficiency at Nigerian ports.
These systems he said enable officers to examine containerized cargo rapidly, detect anomalies in declarations and identify suspicious consignments without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate trade flows.
The Customs boss said the current operational data from Apapa Port shows that 3,236 consignments were processed through the Orange channel (Non-Intrusive Inspection – scanning), 5,490 through the Yellow channel (documentary checks), while a significantly higher 21,373 consignments were subjected to full physical examination under the Red channel.
Additionally, 1,118 consignments passed through the Blue channel and 149 through the Green channel, reflecting varying levels of facilitation based on compliance and risk profiling.
The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has intercepted 13 containers loaded with prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6,381,237,988.00
The CGC said this distribution clearly indicates that physical examination still dominates cargo control procedures, reinforcing the need to expand the use of scanning technology. Strengthening non-intrusive inspection and combining it with intelligence-driven risk management, will enable the Service concentrate physical examinations on high-risk shipments and facilitate faster clearance for compliant traders, he added.
The intercepted consignments include: a 40-foot container (HASU 4072659) conveying large quantities of expired pharmaceutical products including Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, Chloroquine injections and Diclofenac tablets, two 40-foot containers (MRSU 4584911 and MRSU 6913370) conveying large consignments of Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate unregistered pharmaceuticals, a 20-foot container (MRKU 8830266) conveying 800 cartons of Codeine (TPL CSC) deliberately concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware, a 40-foot container (MRSU 5147562) conveying cartons of Artesunate 60 injections, a 20-foot container (PCIU 286888) conveying restricted security equipment without End User Certificates, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches.
Additional seizures include: a 20-foot container (TCLU 3819607) conveying expired muffin cookie biscuits, a 20-foot container (UGMU 8692902) containing 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks, a 20-foot container (SUDU 1696593) loaded with expired St. Kelvin tomato paste, another 20-foot container (TCLU 1923314) containing expired De Truth tomato paste, a 40-foot container (TCNU 7257465) containing 1,700 cartons of Codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks.
Another 40-foot container (CAAU 8375050) was found to contain 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine concealed with 156 cartons of electric kettles, alongside additional pharmaceutical seizures including 13 cartons of Bristol brand Co-codamol 500mg and 2 cartons of Zevita brand Co-codamol 500mg.
Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa (Colorado) weighing 347.57kg concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Chassis No. 5TDDK3DC7DS057669.
Adeniyi warned that the importation of expired drugs and controlled substances poses serious risks to public health and national security. He declared that Apapa Port would no longer serve as a safe haven for smugglers and criminal networks attempting to infiltrate Nigeria’s trade channels.
Citing the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the Comptroller-General said the seized consignments are liable to forfeiture, while those linked to the shipments would face investigation and prosecution.
He reassured compliant traders and investors that the Service remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade while deploying technology and intelligence to clamp down on illegal imports.
“Apapa Port remains Nigeria’s busiest maritime gateway and one of the most strategic trade corridors in West Africa. In recent months, the Service has been working closely with government agencies and industry stakeholders to address the persistent challenge of port congestion and improve efficiency across Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
“Measures such as the recent launch of the Green Channel at Lekki Deep Seaport are part of our broader strategy to accelerate cargo clearance for compliant traders and strengthen enforcement against high-risk consignments. Today’s engagement should therefore be seen as part of that continuing effort to modernize our cargo control processes.
“Our strategic objective is therefore to significantly increase the proportion of cargo subjected to scanning across all major entry points in Nigeria before the end of the year, including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and other operational commands. This shift will enhance enforcement accuracy, reduce port congestion and support our broader goal of facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining robust border control.
“It is important to emphasise that achieving this target will depend largely on the level of compliance demonstrated by traders and other stakeholders within the port ecosystem. As compliance improves, Customs will be able to rely more on technology-driven inspection and risk management rather than time-consuming physical examination.
“This is why we strongly encourage traders to continue improving their compliance culture and take advantage of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which provides trusted traders with predictable clearance processes and faster cargo facilitation,” he said.
