Customs Seizes Two 40‑ft Containers of Expired Drugs Worth N12.8 Billion

By Efe Onodjae

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command has seized two 40‑foot containers that were packed with expired pharmaceutical products. The goods were allegedly intended for relabelling and distribution within the Nigerian market.

The operation, which was driven by intelligence, also uncovered 1.8 tonnes of cannabis sativa, commonly known as “Canadian Loud.”

Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Apapa Area Command, said the seizures followed credible intelligence and a thorough risk assessment carried out by officers of the command in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Physical inspection of the containers revealed large quantities of drugs with expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023.

One container, marked PCIU8771576, contained expired items such as Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B‑Complex Injection.

The second container, numbered MRKU4961275, held expired medical products including Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.

Customs investigators determined that the importers intended to relabel the expired products and reintroduce them into the Nigerian market, a move that could have posed serious health risks to consumers.

The seizure prevented potentially harmful and ineffective medications from reaching hospitals, pharmacies and homes across the country.

On June 15, 2026, officers of the command intercepted a 40‑foot container, numbered CAAU7569127, carrying a large consignment of cannabis sativa concealed in vehicles, bags and drums.

The seizure yielded 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grams, for a total weight of approximately 1,819 kilograms, or 1.81 tonnes.

Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as cannabis sativa, commonly referred to as “Canadian Loud.”

The drugs were reportedly hidden inside a Toyota Nissan vehicle and a Toyota Sienna vehicle, alongside other items packed within the container in what officials described as a sophisticated smuggling attempt.

The combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized expired pharmaceuticals and cannabis was assessed at N12.78 billion.

Speaking on the seizures, Comptroller Oshoba warned smugglers, drug traffickers and importers of expired pharmaceuticals to avoid the nation’s ports, emphasizing that the service had enhanced its intelligence and technological capabilities to detect illicit consignments.

He said: “Unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage 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 identify and apprehend them.”

The CAC added that Apapa Port and other Customs‑controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, assuring Nigerians that the command will continue to intensify intelligence‑driven operations aimed at safeguarding public health, protecting legitimate trade and strengthening national security.

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