Apapa Customs foils massive codeine smuggling attempt, seizes ₦3.4bn haul hidden in containers
Maureen Aguta
Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have intercepted two containers laden with codeine-based syrup valued at ₦3.398 billion at Apapa Port in Lagos.
The seizure comes barely five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, visited the port and warned that Apapa would no longer serve as a safe haven for smugglers and criminal syndicates disguising illicit cargo as legitimate trade.
In a statement on Monday, the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, disclosed that the interception followed a swift, intelligence-driven operation carried out on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
According to him, the containers were found to contain 3,398 cartons — equivalent to 339,800 bottles — of codeine-containing syrup carefully concealed within consignments of household utensils.
The seized items have a cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3,398,000,000.
Details of the interception showed that container number MRKU 3816476 contained 1,700 cartons (170,000 bottles) of codeine syrup hidden alongside 38 cartons of pearl-plated insulated casserole and bullet insulated hotspot utensils.
Another container, TGBU 5399178, was discovered to contain 1,698 cartons (169,800 bottles) of the substance concealed with 36 cartons of pearl-plated casserole items.
Oshoba said both containers have since been converted to seizures in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
“This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the CGC’s visit and his strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge to the Command,” he said.
“We remain fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers.”
The Customs Area Controller also commended the NDLEA for what he described as seamless operational collaboration that led to the successful interception.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to safeguarding public health, protecting national security and facilitating legitimate trade in line with the Customs Service’s renewed emphasis on technology-driven operations and zero tolerance for smuggling.