Customs hands over 25 containers laden with illicit drugs, others to NAFDAC
Customs hands over 25 containers laden with illicit Drugs, others to NAFDAC
By Babatunde Aremu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Friday handed over 25 containers filled with unregistered pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The items included sexual enhancement drugs such as REDSUN and HYEGRA (sildenafil citrate products), codeine-containing cough syrups like CSC brands, antibiotic injections including oxytetracycline and artesunate, pain relief medications with diclofenac sodium and paracetamol, skin-lightening creams marketed as GBOGBONISE and SKIN CHEMIST, hip and breast enlargement products, as well as various tablets bearing fake NAFDAC registration numbers.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, while addressing newsmen at the handover, disclosed that the shipments, mostly imported from India, have a street value of ₦9.2 billion. He stated that the handover was a result of ongoing collaboration between Customs and NAFDAC, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in November 2024, and the subsequent formation of an implementation committee that has already yielded notable enforcement successes.
Adeniyi explained that the MoU has facilitated coordinated operations and joint investigations aimed at tracing sources of illicit pharmaceuticals and deploying targeted strategies to dismantle criminal networks. He said intelligence sharing and inter-agency collaboration have become central to enforcement under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, leading to measurable achievements in public health protection and anti-smuggling efforts.
He reaffirmed Customs’ commitment to strengthening the security of seaports, airports, and land borders through intelligence-led operations, supported by real-time collaboration with regulatory bodies. The seizures, he said, consisted of 21 forty-foot and four twenty-foot containers containing a range of counterfeit and unregistered pharmaceutical products, along with prohibited substances that pose a grave threat to public health. These include expired food items such as margarine and chocolate, veterinary medicines like albendazole bolus tablets, antimalarial drugs such as Artepharm-Artequick, and consumer goods including crusader soap.
Adeniyi emphasized that the seizures expose disturbing patterns of misdeclaration and deliberate attempts to circumvent import regulations.
He praised the operational synergy between Customs and NAFDAC, noting that the Director-General’s timely intelligence—including alerts received even at midnight—has proven critical in intercepting suspicious shipments.
He commended the dedication and technical expertise of NAFDAC officials, which, combined with Customs enforcement capacity, has formed a formidable barrier against smuggling networks.
He further stated that the Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), remains resolute in its fight against those he described as “merchants of death” who profit from the sale of dangerous and unapproved products that harm individuals and communities.
According to him, joint operations coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser have led to the seizure of over 200 containers, with unregistered pharmaceutical products accounting for 63.7 percent of the total seizure value. He warned that, had these shipments reached the market, they would have posed severe consequences for human life and the nation’s social fabric.
Issuing a stern warning to stakeholders in the international trade chain, Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service, in continued partnership with other relevant agencies, will maintain an uncompromising stance on regulatory compliance. He stressed that anyone found to be complicit—including haulage operators, bonded terminal owners, and other trade facilitators—would face the full force of the law. He added that with significantly enhanced intelligence and technology systems, Customs is now fully capable of detecting and intercepting prohibited goods regardless of concealment tactics or documentation.
The Comptroller-General also applauded the officers of the Apapa Port Command for their vigilance, professionalism, and commitment, which were instrumental in executing the seizures. He said the handover ceremony stands as a symbol of the shared commitment to safeguarding national health and security, assuring that through sustained collaboration, intelligence exchange, and strategic enforcement, Nigeria’s borders will remain protected from criminal threats targeting public safety.
