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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as “Canadian Loud” and seized two containers laden with expired pharmaceutical products in a major intelligence-led operation aimed at curbing illicit trade and protecting public health.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, officers of the Command, working alongside operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 40-foot container conveying a massive consignment of Cannabis Sativa on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The container, identified as CAAU7569127, contained 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grams, amounting to approximately 1,819 kilograms or 1.81 tonnes.
Customs said preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa.
Investigations revealed that the narcotics were cleverly concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, and several bags and drums packed within the container, underscoring the sophistication of smuggling syndicates seeking to exploit Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
In a related operation, the Command intercepted two additional 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly intended for relabelling and reintroduction into the Nigerian market.
One of the containers, numbered PCIU8771576, contained expired pharmaceutical products including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.
The second container, MRKU4961275, contained various expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Customs disclosed that the products had expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023, warning that their circulation could have posed serious health risks to unsuspecting Nigerians.
The Command noted that the interceptions prevented potentially harmful and ineffective medications from finding their way into hospitals, pharmacies and households across the country.
Speaking on the seizures, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, warned that individuals involved in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals would face severe consequences.
“Unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress. We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them.
“Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising. Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage and public health endangerment,” he said.
Oshoba further stated that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, adding that officers of the Command remain committed to protecting the economy, safeguarding public health and preventing criminal exploitation of the nation’s borders.
He reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to intensify intelligence-driven operations while facilitating legitimate trade in line with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda.
