CUSTOMS INTERCEPTS RIFLE PARTS, SEIZES N373.8M CANNABIS PRODUCTS AT TINCAN PORT
Customs Intercepts Rifle Parts, Seizes ₦373.8m Cannabis Products at Tincan Port
By Babatunde Aremu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a container concealing components of pump-action rifles and seized cannabis-infused products with a combined street value of ₦373.8 million at the Tincan Island Port Command in Lagos.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced the seizures on Thursday during a press briefing at the command alongside representatives of other security agencies. He described the operation as a significant breakthrough in the Service’s sustained campaign against the importation of prohibited items that threaten national security and public health.
According to Adeniyi, the seizures highlight the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s borders through intelligence-driven enforcement, enhanced risk management, and effective inter-agency collaboration.
He disclosed that Container No. TEMU 184536/9, which arrived aboard MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026, was flagged by Customs’ intelligence-based risk management system and placed under surveillance before undergoing a detailed physical examination at the Customs Enforcement Station.
The examination revealed concealed crates containing knocked-down components preliminarily identified as JoJeff pump-action rifles. The Customs boss said the recovered firearm components are undergoing comprehensive technical examination and inventory to determine their exact quantity and configuration.
Adeniyi further revealed that investigations led to the arrest of one suspect on July 31, 2026, at the Migfo Bonded Terminal while attempting to facilitate the release of the container. He explained that documentary evidence, financial records, and telecommunications analysis linked the suspect to the named consignee, including a ₦10,000 payment traced to a company account associated with the consignee on the day of the arrest.
He added that two suspects are currently in Customs custody assisting investigators, while another principal suspect remains at large and is being actively tracked by security operatives.
In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted two 40-foot containers conveying cannabis-infused products concealed alongside two used vehicles, two used pumping generators, rolls of blue polypropylene spunbond fabric, new tubular batteries, and thunder arrester cables.
The seized narcotic products include 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies containing 8,720 pieces weighing 17.44kg, valued at ₦308,792,640; 125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies comprising 740 packs weighing 515.2kg, valued at ₦40.7 million; and 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies comprising 442 packs weighing 309.4kg, valued at ₦24.31 million.
The total street value of the seized cannabis-infused products was estimated at ₦373,802,640.
Adeniyi said the seizures demonstrate the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal networks exploiting legitimate international trade channels to smuggle illicit arms and narcotic substances into Nigeria.
He noted that the successful operations validate the effectiveness of the Nigeria Customs Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy, advanced risk profiling systems, and strong collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies.
The Comptroller-General reaffirmed the Service’s determination to dismantle criminal networks involved in smuggling, stressing that all individuals connected with the illegal operations would be identified, apprehended, and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“Nigeria’s ports will never serve as safe havens for the trafficking of illicit weapons, narcotics, or other prohibited goods,” Adeniyi declared.
He also commended officers and men of the Tincan Island Port Command and other partner agencies for their professionalism, vigilance, and commitment, urging them to sustain the momentum in protecting the nation’s borders and economy.
