Expired pharmaceutical products and 1.81 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud,” worth N12.7 billion, have been intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, in a series of intelligence-led operations targeting illicit trade, drug trafficking and threats to public health.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, disclosed that officers of the command intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products illegally imported into the country.
According to him, physical examination of the containers revealed that the products had expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023 and were intended to be relabelled and reintroduced into the Nigerian market.
One of the containers, with number PCIU8771576, contained expired pharmaceutical products including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection. The second container, numbered MRKU4961275, contained expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
Oshoba said the seizure prevented potentially harmful and ineffective medications from entering hospitals, pharmacies and homes across Nigeria, thereby averting serious health risks to consumers.
In a related development, the command, acting on credible intelligence and in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 40-foot container, numbered CAAU7569127, conveying a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as “Canadian Loud.”
The operation, carried out on June 15, 2026, led to the recovery of 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grams, bringing the total weight to approximately 1,819 kilograms, or 1.81 tonnes.
The drugs were concealed inside a vehicle, a Toyota Sienna bus, as well as several bags and drums loaded within the container in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
According to Customs, preliminary field tests conducted on the substance returned positive results for Cannabis Sativa, while the examination was carried out in collaboration with relevant security and regulatory agencies.
The command stated that the seizures underscore the scale of the attempted economic sabotage and reaffirm the service’s commitment to safeguarding national security, public health and the economy through intelligence-driven enforcement operations.
Comptroller Oshoba warned importers involved in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals to desist from such criminal activities.
“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. Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist, because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising. Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage and public health endangerment, ” he said.
He stressed that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, assuring Nigerians that the command would continue to intensify intelligence-driven operations to protect lives, secure legitimate trade and uphold national security.
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