Apapa Customs Command Seizes 13 Containers of Contrband, Expired Pharmaceuticals

Nigeria’s flagship Port Command of the Nigerian Customs, Apapa has handed over 13 contianers of seized contraband, expired pharmaceuticals and other illicit substances with DPV worth N6,381,988.00.

Handing over the seized items today at the PMTL Container Terminal of Apapa Customs Command, the Customs Comptroller General, Badir Adewale Adeniyi, made it clear that the Service will continue to seize and persecute enemies of the economy and human race who are not tired of indulging in the illicit business.

According to him, “As the volume of trade passing through Nigerian ports continues to grow, the responsibility placed on the Nigeria Customs Service becomes even greater. Thousands of containers pass through this port every day carrying goods that support businesses, sustain industries and drive our national economy. While our mandate requires us to facilitate legitimate trade, we must also ensure that our ports are not exploited by criminal networks attempting to introduce dangerous, prohibited or falsely declared goods into the country.”

“Over the past year, the Service has intensified the deployment of technology-driven enforcement tools, particularly Non-Intrusive Inspection systems (scanning), to strengthen cargo examination procedures and improve efficiency at our ports. These systems enable officers to examine containerized cargo rapidly, detect anomalies in declarations and identify suspicious consignments without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate trade flows. Current operational data from Apapa Port shows that 3,236 consignments were processed through the Orange channel (Non-Intrusive Inspection – scanning), 5,490 through the Yellow channel (documentary checks), while a significantly higher 21,373 consignments were subjected to full physical examination under the Red channel. Additionally, 1,118 consignments passed through the Blue channel and 149 through the Green channel, reflecting varying levels of facilitation based on compliance and risk profiling.”

Adeniyi further averred that “This distribution clearly indicates that physical examination still dominates cargo control procedures, reinforcing the need to expand the use of scanning technology. Strengthening non-intrusive inspection and combining it with intelligence-driven risk management, will enable the Service concentrate physical examinations on high-risk shipments and facilitate faster clearance for compliant traders. Our strategic objective is therefore to significantly increase the proportion of cargo subjected to scanning across all major entry points in Nigeria before the end of the year, including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and other operational commands. This shift will enhance enforcement accuracy, reduce port congestion and support our broader goal of facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining robust border control.”

He said going forward in the seizure of illicit items and related contrabands, Customs will continuw to rely more on technology-driven inspection and risk management rather than time-consuming physical examination, saying “This is why Customs strongly encourage traders to continue improving their compliance culture and take advantage of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which provides trusted traders with predictable clearance processes and faster cargo facilitation.”

He revealed via eagle-eyed risk profiling and non-intrusive inspection procedures, officers of the Service identified several containers with irregular cargo profiles that warranted further examination. These involve thirteen (13) containers and additional contraband items intercepted through coordinated enforcement operations.

Following detailed scanning analysis and physical examination, officers uncovered the following consignments:

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1. A 40-foot container (HASU 4072659) conveying large quantities of expired pharmaceutical products including Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, Chloroquine injections and Diclofenac tablets.
2. Two 40-foot containers (MRSU 4584911 and MRSU 6913370) conveying large consignments of Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate unregistered pharmaceuticals.
3. A 20-foot container (MRKU 8830266) conveying 800 cartons of Codeine (TPL CSC) deliberately concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware.
4. A 40-foot container (MRSU 5147562) conveying cartons of Artesunate 60 injections.
5. A 20-foot container (PCIU 286888) conveying restricted security equipment without End User Certificates, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches.

Additional seizures include:

1. A 20-foot container (TCLU 3819607) conveying expired muffin cookie biscuits.
2. A 20-foot container (UGMU 8692902) containing 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks.
3. A 20-foot container (SUDU 1696593) loaded with expired St. Kelvin tomato paste.
4. Another 20-foot container (TCLU 1923314) containing expired De Truth tomato paste.
5. A 40-foot container (TCNU 7257465) containing 1,700 cartons of Codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks.

At the Commissioning of CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Analytics Centre

Another 40-foot container (CAAU 8375050) was found to contain 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine concealed with 156 cartons of electric kettles, alongside additional pharmaceutical seizures including 13 cartons of Bristol brand Co-codamol 500mg and 2 cartons of Zevita brand Co-codamol

500mg. Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa

(Colorado) weighing 347.57kg concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Chassis No. 5TDDK3DC7DS057669.

Business Hilights reports that collectively, these seizures amount to ₦6,381,237,988.00.