The Nigeria Customs Service, Tincan Island Port Command, in a joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, has seized illicit drugs worth ₦18.9 billion, dealing a major blow to drug trafficking syndicates.
Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, disclosed the breakthrough during a press briefing in Lagos where the drugs were formally handed over to the NDLEA for investigation and prosecution.
Acting on credible intelligence and strengthened inter-agency collaboration, officers conducted a 100 per cent physical examination of container HAMU429966/1, which arrived from Canada and was falsely declared as containing used vehicles.
The inspection uncovered 185 jumbo bags of Cannabis Indica concealed alongside a used 2010 Toyota Camry and a used 2023 Chevrolet Colorado.
The consignment contained 9,458 packages weighing 4,729 kilograms, with an estimated street value of ₦18,916,000,000.
Onyeka described the interception as a significant disruption to drug trafficking networks and proof of the vigilance and professionalism of officers.
He said the operation came shortly after a landmark agreement between NCS and NDLEA to deepen intelligence sharing, joint operations, and coordination against organised crime.
A standing inter-agency committee, headquartered at NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, now drives structured collaboration between both agencies, he added.
The Comptroller commended the Comptroller-General of Customs for his leadership and thanked the NDLEA, port operators, and the media for their support.
He reaffirmed the command’s resolve to intensify enforcement and warned smugglers that Tin Can Port will not be a safe haven for illegal activities. “We remain committed to safeguarding the nation’s economy and public health,” Onyeka stated.
