Apapa Customs Busts ₦12.8bn Smuggling Ring, Seizes 1.8 Tonnes of ‘Canadian Loud’ and Expired Drugs
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on transnational crime, drug trafficking, and the importation of harmful products into Nigeria, intercepting 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud,” and large consignments of expired pharmaceutical products valued at over ₦12.78 billion.
The seizures were made through intelligence-led operations carried out by the Command in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security agencies.
According to the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday, June 15, 2026, intercepted a 40-foot container (No. CAAU7569127) loaded with 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, each weighing 500 grams, bringing the total weight to approximately 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes).
The illicit drugs were carefully concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as well as bags and drums packed within the container in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa, underscoring the Command’s growing capacity to uncover sophisticated smuggling operations targeting Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
In a related operation, the Apapa Command also intercepted two 40-foot containers carrying expired pharmaceutical products intended for illegal distribution in the Nigerian market.
Investigations revealed that the products, which had expired between 2021 and 2023, were allegedly being imported for relabelling and reintroduction into circulation, posing significant health risks to consumers.
One of the containers (No. PCIU8771576) contained expired Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection, and Becoline B-Complex Injection. The second container (No. MRKU4961275) was found to contain expired medical products, including Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets, and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Customs said the seized narcotics and pharmaceutical products have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦12,784,479,341.72, highlighting the magnitude of the attempted economic sabotage and threat to public health.
The Command noted that the operation prevented potentially dangerous and ineffective medications from finding their way into hospitals, pharmacies, and households across the country.
Speaking on the development, Comptroller Oshoba warned smugglers and their collaborators to desist from criminal activities, stressing that the Command possesses the intelligence, technology, and determination to identify and apprehend offenders.
“Unpatriotic importers involved in smuggling, drug trafficking, and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress. We have the intelligence, the technology, and the resolve to track them down. Anyone contemplating these crimes should desist immediately because the consequences will be swift, decisive, and uncompromising,” he said.
He further emphasized that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, assuring Nigerians that the Command will continue to intensify intelligence-driven enforcement operations aimed at safeguarding public health, protecting legitimate trade, and strengthening national security.
The latest seizures reaffirm the Apapa Area Command’s commitment to leveraging intelligence gathering, strategic profiling, data analysis, and inter-agency collaboration to combat smuggling while facilitating legitimate business activities in line with the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda.