The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted large narcotics and prohibited food items at the Idiroko border in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, in a series of intelligence-led operations.

The seizures were announced by the Acting Area Controller of the Ogun 1 Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, during a media briefing on the command’s activities over the past 11 days since he assumed office.

According to Afeni, Customs officers intercepted 16 packages of heroine weighing 16 kilograms and 11 packages of crystal methamphetamine (known as ICE) weighing 12 kilograms, which were being smuggled into the country through the border area. The combined Duty Payable Value (DPV) of the narcotics was put at approximately ₦463 million.

Additional drug seizures included cannabis sativa in various forms and sizes—128 doughnut-sized units, 2,752 coconut-sized units and 401booklet-sized units—with a combined weight of about 1,502 kilograms.

Afeni said the drugs were intercepted in six intelligence- driven operation conducted between December 4 and December 15, 2025, across different locations in Ogun State. He described the seizures as particularly alarming due to the serious risks posed to public health, youth development and national security.

In line with inter-agency cooperation, the seized narcotics were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation and prosecution.

Beyond narcotics, the Customs chief also reported major seizures of prohibited food imports. On December 12, officers intercepted a truck carrying 4,998 cartons of foreign pasta and 419 spaghetti, all weighing 10 kilograms each and illegally imported from Turkey.

Similarly, another operation led to the interception of a truck transporting 2,200 kegs of vegetable oil, each containing 25 litres and of Indonesian origin. Afeni noted that these food items are classified as prohibited imports under Nigerian law. The combined DPV of the food items was estimated at ₦291.26 million, while the trucks used for transportation were valued at ₦222 million.

He warned that smuggled food products pose significant health risks, as they often bypass regulatory checks and safety standards. Both the goods and the vehicles, he said, are liable to forfeiture to the federal government in accordance with existing laws.

“The dangers in these food items finding their way to the open market lie in consuming substandard products that have not been subjected to health checks and declared fit for consumption by relevant agencies in Nigeria. It may interest us to know that unscrupulous tradesmen deliberately smuggle in substandard food items and profit on the health risk of non-suspecting Nigerians”.

Other seizures recorded by the Ogun 1 Area Command during the period include 6,750 litres of petrol, 4,738 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), two foreign-used vehicles, eight means of conveyance and 309 bundles of used tyres. The total DPV of all seizures across multiple border corridors was estimated at ₦1.5 billion.

Although primarily an enforcement command, Afeni disclosed that the unit also generated ₦27.29 million in revenue during the period, attributing this to the diligence of officers and compliance by legitimate traders.

Reaffirming the command’s commitment to border security, Afeni said the Nigeria Customs would continue to deploy technology, intelligence and inter-agency collaboration to dismantle smuggling networks and protect the country’s economic and security interests.

Olusola Akintonde