The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized two stolen luxury vehicles smuggled from Canada and intercepted six containers of prohibited items with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.247 billion.
This was disclosed by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, during a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday.
Olomu said the stolen vehicles—a 2024 Lexus RX 450 and a 2023 Lexus RX 350—were concealed in a 40-foot container falsely declared as food items. He identified the container as MRKU 0904594, adding that the vehicles were hidden in an attempt to evade detection.
Further investigations also led to the interception of five containers packed with illegal pharmaceuticals, unregistered cosmetics, and used clothing, in violation of Nigeria’s import regulations.
Breakdown of Seized Containers:
- Container SUDU 8685733 (40FT): 1,698 cartons of RTPL CSC cough syrup with codeine, hidden in 202 packages of water closets.
- Container MRSU 4846204 (40FT): 1,690 cartons of codeine syrup concealed in toilet seats.
- Container ONEU 1153150 (40FT): 1,584 packages of Globatin anti-marks cream and Clobetasol 30g, falsely declared as truck tyres.
- Container MRSU 3258823 (40FT): Unregistered drugs including Rabeprazole, Zahifranil tablets, Vancomycin, and Cyproheptadine with Vitamin B Complex, falsely declared as kitchenware.
- Container SEKU 4716830 (40FT): 390 bales of used clothing.
The seizures, Olomu noted, were made possible through collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Revenue Milestone:
Olomu also announced that the command had surpassed the N1 trillion revenue mark as of May 21, 2025. “We have so far generated N1.09 trillion,” he said, highlighting recent revenue milestones including N18.2 billion in October 2024 and N18.919 billion on May 20, 2025.
NDLEA and NAFDAC React:
Assistant Commander General of Narcotics at the NDLEA, Mr. Buba Wakawa, explained that smugglers are now using third-party countries to evade restrictions following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and India to curb codeine exports.
Mr. Kingsley Odumah, Deputy Director of Port Inspection at NAFDAC, lauded the inter-agency collaboration in preventing the influx of counterfeit and unregistered pharmaceuticals.
Crackdown Warning:
Comptroller Olomu warned smugglers to steer clear of Apapa Port, declaring it a “no-go area for any unlawful activity” and reaffirming the Customs Service’s commitment to robust enforcement and anti-smuggling operations.