Nigeria Customs Intercepts ₦921m Worth of Contraband at Apapa Port, Seizes Unregistered Pharmaceuticals, Expired Food Items, and Drones

Nigeria Customs Intercepts ₦921m Worth of Contraband at Apapa Port, Seizes Unregistered Pharmaceuticals, Expired Food Items, and Drones L...

Nigeria Customs Intercepts ₦921m Worth of Contraband at Apapa Port, Seizes Unregistered Pharmaceuticals, Expired Food Items, and Drones

Lagos, Nigeria – April 30, 2025
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a major enforcement breakthrough at the Apapa Port Command, resulting in the seizure of prohibited imports valued at ₦921,021,213.00. The items seized include unregistered pharmaceuticals, expired food products, and controlled technology such as drones and communication equipment.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Command, Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, revealed that the seizures were part of intensified surveillance operations in line with the National Strategic Economic Development Plan and Executive Order on Port Operations.

According to him, "The Service has observed a disturbing rise in the sophistication of smuggling methods, particularly at seaports. These include the misdeclaration of items, use of falsified documents, and importation of goods from countries with weak pharmaceutical export controls."

Breakdown of Seized Items
Between January and April 2025, the Apapa Command carried out 11 major seizures:

• Five 40-foot containers filled with unregistered pharmaceutical products such as sildenafil citrate oral jelly, herbal pain oils, and various counterfeit medications—all lacking mandatory NAFDAC registration.

• Two 20-foot containers carrying expired margarine products, condemned by a Federal High Court ruling.

• 60 Warrior drones and 53 helicopter drones, imported without End-User Certificates from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

• 10 professional walkie-talkie transceivers, also seized for lack of appropriate certification.

• Additional container holding 500 packages of unregistered artemisinin-based combination therapies falsely declared as general merchandise.

Among the notable seizures:

• Container No. CAAU 6514500 contained 891 cartons of sexual enhancement drugs and herbal products, with a duty-paid value of ₦142.3 million.

• Container No. MRSU 3041714 was falsely declared as omeprazole capsules but actually contained over 1,000 cartons of unregistered sildenafil tablets, valued at ₦143.2 million.

Emerging Trends and Concerns
The Customs boss noted several disturbing trends:

• A surge in sexual enhancement drugs, representing a significant share of pharmaceutical seizures.

• A growing use of misdeclaration, with drugs labeled as cosmetics or supplements to evade detection.

• Diversification of contraband, with importers combining drugs, expired food, and surveillance equipment in the same consignments.

• A shift toward high-volume, standardized smuggling operations, with each pharmaceutical container valued between ₦140-145 million.

“These are not one-off smuggling attempts,” Adeniyi warned. “They reflect organized, transnational networks exploiting regulatory loopholes and targeting our markets with harmful goods.”

National Security Implications
Beyond the health risks, the seizure of drones and communication gear raised serious security red flags. "The importation of 113 drones and other surveillance equipment without proper clearance suggests these items may be intended for unauthorized or malicious use," Adeniyi added.

He emphasized that the Nigeria Customs Service is working in close collaboration with key regulatory and security agencies—including NAFDAC, NDLEA, and ONSA—under formal agreements to share intelligence and coordinate enforcement.

Results and Recognition
In Q1 2025 alone, the NCS recorded 22 narcotics interceptions worth ₦730.7 million—a 34.6% increase from the same period in 2024. The Apapa Command was commended for its vigilance and professionalism, with Adeniyi praising the officers for exemplifying the Service's core values of integrity, patriotism, and professionalism.

Call for Compliance
The CGC issued a stern warning to importers and stakeholders: “Our surveillance network is more sophisticated than ever. We will detect and intercept all prohibited imports regardless of concealment or documentation tricks.”

He urged members of the public to remain alert and report any suspicious import activities using confidential channels provided by the NCS.

“The safety, economic stability, and security of our nation remain our top priorities,” he concluded.