Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Apapa Area Command have intercepted two containers carrying thousands of cartons of codeine-based syrup concealed among household goods at Apapa Port in Lagos.
The seizure, carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), involved a total of 3,398 cartons, equivalent to 339,800 bottles, of codeine-containing syrup.
According to a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Isah Sulaiman, the illicit consignment has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.398 billion.
Sulaiman said one of the containers, identified as MRKU 3816476, was found to contain 1,700 cartons of codeine syrup hidden among 38 cartons of insulated casserole dishes.
A second container, TGBU 5399178, held 1,698 cartons concealed within 36 cartons of similar household items.
Both shipments have since been seized in line with provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
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Reacting to the interception, the Customs Area Controller for Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the operation as a clear signal of the agency’s intensified crackdown on smuggling and illicit drug trafficking.
Oshoba revealed the development followed recent directives from the Comptroller-General of Customs, stressing that the command remained committed to intelligence-led enforcement.
"This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us.
"We are fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers,” he said.
He also commended the NDLEA for what he described as strong inter-agency cooperation, adding that such collaboration was critical to disrupting the flow of harmful substances into the country.
The command reassured that it would continue to prioritise public health and national security while ensuring legitimate trade is not hindered.