Customs intercepts two 40ft containers of expired drugs worth N12.8bn

By Efe Onodjae

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly imported into the country for relabelling and circulation in the Nigerian market.

The intelligence-led operation that also uncovered 1.8 tonnes of cannabis sativa, popularly known as “Canadian Loud.”

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, disclosed that the seizures were made following credible intelligence and advanced risk assessment by officers of the command working in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to him, physical examination of the pharmaceutical containers revealed large quantities of expired drugs with expiry dates ranging from 2021 to 2023.

One of the containers, marked PCIU8771576, was found to contain expired pharmaceutical products including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.

The second container, with number MRKU4961275, contained expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets and Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.

Customs said investigations indicated that the importers planned to relabel the expired products and reintroduce them into the Nigerian market, a move that could have posed serious health risks to unsuspecting consumers.

The command noted that the seizure prevented potentially harmful and ineffective medications from finding their way into hospitals, pharmacies and homes across the country.

In a related development, officers of the command on June 15, 2026, intercepted a 40-foot container, numbered CAAU7569127, conveying a large consignment of cannabis sativa concealed in vehicles, bags and drums.

The seizure yielded 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grammes, bringing the total weight to approximately 1,819 kilogrammes, or 1.81 tonnes.

Customs said preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as cannabis sativa, commonly referred to as “Canadian Loud.”

The drugs were reportedly hidden inside a Toyota Nissan vehicle and a Toyota Sienna vehicle, alongside other items packed within the container in what officials described as a sophisticated smuggling attempt.
The command placed the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized expired pharmaceuticals and cannabis at N12.78 billion.

Speaking on the seizures, Comptroller Oshoba warned smugglers, drug traffickers and importers of expired pharmaceuticals to steer clear of the nation’s ports, stressing that the service had strengthened its intelligence and technological capabilities to detect illicit consignments.

He said: “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.”

The CAC added that Apapa Port and other Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, assuring Nigerians that the command would continue to intensify intelligence-driven operations aimed at safeguarding public health, protecting legitimate trade and strengthening national security.