APAPA CUSTOMS, NDLEA INTERCEPT 1.8 TONNES OF ‘ CANADIAN LOUD , EXPIRED DRUGS WORTH 12.7B NAIRA
APAPA CUSTOMS, NDLEA INTERCEPT 1.8 TONNES OF ‘CANADIAN LOUD’, EXPIRED DRUGS WORTH ₦12.7BN
By Babatunde Aremu
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Apapa Area Command, working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa and expired pharmaceutical products worth ₦12,784,479,341.72 in a series of intelligence-led operations at Lagos Port.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, disclosed this in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Isah Sulaiman, on Monday, June 16, 2026.
According to the CAC, officers acting on credible intelligence intercepted a 40FT container, No. CAAU7569127, on Monday, June 15, 2026 at about 12:00pm. The container was found concealing 3,639 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as “Canadian Loud.” Each sachet weighed 500 grams, bringing the total to approximately 1,819 kilograms.
“The illicit drugs were cleverly concealed inside a black Toyota Sienna vehicle, along with several bags and drums loaded inside the container,” Oshoba said. Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa.
In a related operation, the Command also intercepted two 40FT containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products illegally imported into the country. Physical examination revealed expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023.
Container No. PCIU8771576 contained expired Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection. Container No. MRKU4961275 held expired Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Oshoba said the seizures prevented harmful and ineffective medications from entering hospitals, pharmacies and homes across Nigeria. He described the interceptions as proof of the Command’s commitment to intelligence gathering, strategic profiling, data analysis and stakeholder collaboration.
“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 warned.
He added that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, stressing that anyone contemplating criminal acts should desist immediately.
“The consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising. Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage and public health endangerment,” Oshoba said.
The seized items will be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.
