By Ajibola Adedoye
In a major display of inter-agency synergy, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted two containers used in an elaborate attempt to smuggle illicit drugs into the country through imported motor vehicles. The Command officially handed over the seized narcotics—valued at ₦5.3 billion—to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday, October 24, 2025.
Addressing journalists at the Command headquarters, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, described the seizures as a milestone achievement in the Command’s intensified campaign against transnational crimes and border-related threats.
According to Comptroller Onyeka, the first interception was made on September 4, 2025, when a container (number HLXU8500072) from Montreal, Canada, was flagged following intelligence-led profiling. A joint physical examination revealed that four imported vehicles had been used to conceal 156 packets of Colorado Indica (a potent strain of cannabis) weighing 78 kilograms, along with 1.2 kilograms of Hashish Oil.
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The second interception, made on October 24, 2025, involved container number FANU 312876/9, which also contained four vehicles. Inside, officers discovered 2,081 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 1,093 kilograms, as well as eight packages of Crystal Methamphetamine (“Meth”) weighing 8 kilograms.
The combined street value of the drugs is estimated at ₦5.304 billion.
In accordance with established protocols, the seized substances were formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution. Comptroller Onyeka commended the NDLEA and other security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Navy, for their sustained cooperation in combating drug trafficking and safeguarding the nation’s borders.
He also issued a stern warning to criminal syndicates involved in smuggling and drug trafficking, stressing that the Command remains unyielding in its enforcement of Nigerian laws and international conventions.
“Tin Can Island Port Command under my leadership will continue to leverage intelligence, technology, and teamwork to protect our borders and uphold the integrity of international trade,” Onyeka declared.
The Controller also appreciated the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for his strategic leadership, and commended the gallant officers of the Tin Can Island Port Command for their professionalism and vigilance.
Receiving the seized narcotics on behalf of the NDLEA, Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA Tin Can Strategic Command, Commander Daniel Onyishi, praised the Customs Service for its diligence and operational alertness. He described the handover as a clear demonstration of the strong partnership between the two agencies in the ongoing war against drug trafficking.
Commander Onyishi reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to ensuring that all seized substances are investigated, processed, and disposed of in accordance with the law, while pledging to deepen collaboration with the NCS and other security agencies to advance the goal of a drug-free Nigeria.
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