Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Apapa Area Command have intercepted and seized two containers loaded with codeine-containing cough syrup worth ₦3.398 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos, in what officials described as another major blow to illicit drug trafficking through the country’s busiest seaport.
The interception, carried out on Sunday, 15 March 2026, followed a joint operation between the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Customs officers discovered a total of 3,398 cartons containing 339,800 bottles of codeine-containing syrup carefully concealed among household utensils inside the containers.
According to the Apapa Area Command, the seized items have a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦3,398,000,000.
Container number MRKU 3816476 was found to contain 1,700 cartons, equivalent to 170,000 bottles, of codeine syrup hidden alongside 38 cartons of pearl-plated insulated casserole and five-foot bullet insulated hotspots. A second container, TGBU 5399178, contained 1,698 cartons, or 169,800 bottles, concealed with 36 cartons of pearl-plated casserole.
The command said both containers have been formally converted to seizure in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, as amended.
The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, said the operation underscores the command’s continued enforcement against the trafficking of controlled substances through the port.
“This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the visit of the Comptroller-General of Customs and his strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us,” Oshoba said.
He added that the command remains fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers.
Public Relations Officer of the Apapa Area Command, I Sulaiman, confirmed the details of the seizure in a statement issued on Monday, noting that the command remains committed to protecting public health, safeguarding national security and facilitating only legitimate trade through the port.