By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has seized two containers loaded with 3,398 cartons of codeine-containing syrup valued at N3.398 billion, which were concealed inside household utensils at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The interception was carried out on Sunday, 15 March, 2026, in a joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, according to a statement issued on Monday, 16 March, 2026, by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman.
He said the seizure followed intensified surveillance at the port and came barely five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, warned that Apapa Port would no longer serve as a safe haven for smugglers hiding under legitimate trade documentation.
Sulaiman said the two containers were discovered to contain a total of 3,398 cartons, equivalent to 339,800 bottles, of codeine syrup carefully hidden among household items in an attempt to evade detection.
“In a swift follow-up operation on Sunday, 15 March 2026, the command, in collaboration with the NDLEA, intercepted and seized two containers containing a total of 3,398 cartons (339,800 bottles) of codeine-containing syrup carefully concealed in household utensils at the Apapa Port. Cumulatively, the seizures have a duty-paid value of N3.398bn,” he said.
Giving further details, Sulaiman disclosed that one of the containers, with registration number MRKU 3816476, was found to contain 1,700 cartons of CSP codeine concealed alongside 38 cartons of pearl-plating insulated casserole and five-bullet insulated hotpots.
He added that the second container, with number TGBU 5399178, contained 1,698 cartons of CSP codeine hidden with 36 cartons of pearl-plating casserole, noting that both containers had been officially converted to seizure in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, as amended.
Also speaking on the operation, the Customs Area Controller in charge of the Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, said the interception demonstrates the command’s resolve to enforce the directives of the Comptroller-General and strengthen intelligence-driven enforcement at the port.
“This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us. We are fully aligned with the service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers,” Oshoba said.
He commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for what he described as seamless collaboration and unwavering support during the operation.
Oshoba maintained that the command remains committed to protecting public health and national security while ensuring that only legitimate trade is allowed through the port.
He said the renewed enforcement drive is in line with the Comptroller-General’s directive on technology-driven operations and zero tolerance for smuggling activities, stressing that the command will sustain the crackdown on illegal imports and trafficking through the nation’s busiest seaport.
