The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area 1 Premier Command, said it has intercepted two containers loaded with codeine-containing syrup.
The Command gave the value of the seized pharmaceuticals as N3.398 billion, adding that they were intercepted at the Apapa Port in Lagos, in a major anti-smuggling operation conducted in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The interception, the Command continued was carried out on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Isa Sulaiman, Public Relations Officer, Apapa Area Command, disclosed in a statement signed for the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba.
Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Customs, further revealed the seizure was coming barely five days after the command intercepted 13 containers loaded with prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6,381,237,988.00 during which the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, visited the port and warned smugglers that Apapa Port would no longer serve as a safe haven for criminal networks hiding behind legitimate trade documentation.
Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the seized containers were found to contain a total of 3,398 cartons, equivalent to 339,800 bottles, of codeine syrup carefully concealed among household utensils in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Oshoba explained that one of the containers, identified as MRKU 3816476, contained 1,700 cartons (170,000 bottles) of the codeine syrup concealed alongside 38 cartons of pearl-plating insulated casserole and bullet insulated hotspots.
The second container, TGBU 5399178, was discovered to contain 1,698 cartons (169,800 bottles) of the substance hidden within 36 cartons of pearl-plating casserole.
He said the seized items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3,398,000,000 and have been officially converted to seizure in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
The CAC noted that the interception demonstrated the command’s commitment to enforcing the directives and vision of the CGC, emphasising that officers remain fully aligned with the service’s intelligence-driven enforcement strategy. The development comes as the command intensifies efforts on clamping down on smugglers and drug traffickers operating through the nation’s busiest seaport.
Oshoba also commended the NDLEA for its seamless collaboration and support, noting that the partnership between the agencies remains crucial in combating the trafficking of controlled substances through Nigeria’s ports.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to safeguarding public health, strengthening national security, and facilitating legitimate trade through enhanced surveillance and technology driven operations at the country’s busiest seaport in Lagos.
He said: “Barely five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD visited Apapa Port and declared that Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation; the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, have recorded yet another significant breakthrough.
“In a swift follow-up operation on Sunday, 15 March 2026, the Command, in joint collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted and seized two containers containing a total of 3,398 cartons (339,800 bottles) of Codeine-containing Syrup (CSP Codeine) carefully concealed in household utensils at the Apapa Port. “ Comptroller Oshoba enthused.
