The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command has seized a shipment of Cannabis Indica valued at ₦26.57 billion at the nation’s premier port, blocking a major illicit trade flow that poses health danger and undermines economic stability.
The illicit drugs, weighing 4,143.5 kilograms, were intercepted during a joint routine examination conducted alongside personnel from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Acting on credible intelligence, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, ordered a thorough inspection of a 40-foot container number FANU1933352.
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The search revealed 8,287 parcels of Cannabis Indica, each weighing 500 grams, distributed across 162 bags. The narcotics were smuggled alongside three used vehicles: a 2015 Nissan Micra, a 2019 Toyota Corolla S, and a 2015 Toyota Corolla.
According to details released by the command, four bags of the illicit substance were found hidden inside the Nissan Micra, while the remaining 158 bags were recovered from the container floor and packed tightly between the vehicles.
No drugs were found inside either of the Toyota Corollas.
Comptroller Oshoba stated that the massive seizure aligns with the zero-tolerance directive on illicit trade issued by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
“This seizure demonstrates our untiring commitment to ensuring that only lawful trade thrives in Apapa Port,” Oshoba said.
According to him, the command has intensified its investigation into the shipment.
“We have made the port a no-go area for anything forbidden by our laws.” The 40-foot container has been officially seized under the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. No arrests have been announced yet as investigations continue to trace the consignees and shipping agents involved.
The Customs Area Controller reaffirms the Command’s resolve to facilitate legitimate trade while rigorously enforcing the law against the importation of prohibited and restricted goods.
