In a major breakthrough against smuggling and drug trafficking, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 16 containers filled with contraband and falsely declared goods, including illicit pharmaceuticals valued at a staggering ₦20.5 billion.
The discovery, described as one of the most significant pharmaceutical seizures in recent years, was made at Onne Port in Rivers State. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed the seizure during a press briefing at the Customs Area 2 Command Headquarters on Friday, where he also led journalists on an inspection tour of the intercepted containers.
According to Adeniyi, 11 of the containers were loaded with unregistered and dangerous drugs deliberately concealed under legitimate items such as tomato paste, ceiling fans, plumbing materials, and vehicle parts—a clear attempt to deceive authorities and evade detection.
Among the seized items were:
- Over 1.3 million bottles of Codeine syrup
- 12.6 million tablets of Tapentadol and Tramadol
- Several unregulated and high-risk prescription drugs
“These drugs are not just contraband; they are weapons of mass addiction,” Adeniyi warned. “This represents a calculated attempt to exploit Nigeria’s trade channels and flood our markets with substances that pose severe threats to public health and national security.”
He further stressed that had the drugs made their way into the Nigerian market, the public health consequences would have been catastrophic, particularly among the youth who are most vulnerable to substance abuse.
The NCS boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enhancing surveillance, strengthening intelligence sharing, and working closely with regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC and NDLEA to clamp down on pharmaceutical smuggling networks.
Investigations are ongoing to identify the syndicates behind the smuggling attempt, with the NCS vowing to prosecute those involved to the full extent of the law.