Customs Seizes N26.57bn Cannabis Concealed With Imported Vehicles at Apapa Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted 4,143.5 kilogrammes of Cannabis Indica valued at N26.57 billion, concealed in a container carrying three imported used vehicles.
The illicit drugs, comprising 8,287 parcels packed in 162 bags, were discovered during a joint examination conducted by officers of the command and personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the interception followed credible intelligence received by Customs in collaboration with the NDLEA.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, Oshoba consequently directed that a 40-foot container with number FANU1933352 be subjected to a thorough examination.
The detailed examination, carried out on Friday, 10 July 2026, led to the discovery of the large consignment of Cannabis Indica.
Customs said the container was declared to contain three used vehicles – a red 2015 Nissan Micra, a black 2019 Toyota Corolla S and a grey 2015 Toyota Corolla.
However, a comprehensive search of the container uncovered 162 bags containing a total of 8,287 parcels of Cannabis Indica, with each parcel weighing 500 grammes.
A breakdown of the seizure showed that four bags of the illicit substance were concealed inside the red 2015 Nissan Micra, while the remaining 158 bags were recovered from the floor of the container and spaces between the three imported vehicles.
The command clarified that no illicit substance was discovered inside the black 2019 Toyota Corolla S or the grey 2015 Toyota Corolla.
The seized Cannabis Indica, weighing a total of 4,143.5 kilogrammes, was estimated to have a duty-paid value of N26,569,847,771.
Reacting to the interception, Oshoba said the seizure underscored the command’s vigilance and determination to prevent the importation of prohibited goods, particularly illicit drugs capable of threatening public health, safety and national security.
He said the operation was in line with the zero-tolerance directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, against all forms of illicit trade through Nigeria’s ports.
Oshoba reaffirmed the command’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade while enforcing relevant laws against the importation of prohibited and restricted goods.
He also commended officers involved in the examination for their diligence and professionalism, stressing that the command would continue to strengthen its enforcement operations and intelligence-driven interventions.
“This seizure once again demonstrates our untiring commitment to ensuring that only lawful trade thrives in Apapa Port. As we intensify investigation into the matter, I want to reiterate that this command has made the port a no-go area for anything forbidden by our laws,” Oshoba said.
The Customs Area Controller also assured compliant importers and other legitimate traders operating at the port that they would continue to benefit from trade facilitation initiatives introduced by the Comptroller-General of Customs.
“Let me use this opportunity to rebuild the confidence of our compliant traders and assure them once again that they will always enjoy the many trade facilitation incentives put in place by the Comptroller-General of Customs,” he added.
Oshoba has ordered the seizure of the 40-foot container in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other extant laws.
The command said investigations into the consignment were ongoing as Customs and the NDLEA intensify efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attempted importation of the illicit drugs.
