In a sweeping crackdown on smuggling, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized a staggering ₦912 billion worth of contraband goods between January and April 2025, including unregistered pharmaceuticals, expired food items, and high-tech drones.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the development in Lagos, describing the seizures as part of a broader response to increasingly sophisticated smuggling operations by criminal networks.
“These items are not just illegal—they pose real threats to our public health and national security,” Adeniyi said.
According to the Customs chief, over 63% of the seized goods were unregistered pharmaceutical products, many lacking proper National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) certification.
“These drugs were entering our markets without any regulatory oversight,” Adeniyi warned. “If allowed through, they could result in serious illness—or even death.”
Customs also intercepted expired food products, including margarine concealed in two separate 20-foot containers. These items, the agency said, were dangerously past their safety date and falsely declared to deceive authorities.
The operation also uncovered a concerning cache of unlicensed military-grade technology.
Among the haul were 60 “warrior” drones, 53 helicopter drones, and several professional-grade transceiver walkie-talkies—all lacking the required end-user certificates from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“These devices can be used for surveillance or worse,” Adeniyi said. “Without proper documentation, they present a clear security risk.”
Adeniyi noted that smugglers are adapting their methods—misdeclaring pharmaceuticals as cosmetics or general merchandise, and sourcing goods from countries with weak export controls.
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“We’re no longer just dealing with isolated smugglers,” he said. “These are organized, transnational networks with coordinated strategies.”
He also highlighted a growing trend: the rise of unregulated sexual enhancement drugs, many of which contain harmful compounds.
Customs found various forms of sildenafil and similar substances in five of the seized containers.
The NCS says it has intensified surveillance across all entry points—seaports, airports, and border crossings—and is working closely with other agencies including NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
“The threats we face are complex and evolving,” Adeniyi said. “But with collaboration and intelligence-led enforcement, we are staying ahead.”
So far this year, Customs has also intercepted 22 separate narcotics shipments, valued at ₦730 billion—a 34.6% increase from the same period last year.
Adeniyi commended officers at the Apapa Port Command for their “vigilance and professionalism,” calling their efforts “critical to safeguarding the country.”