The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Onne Area II Command, has intercepted 20 containers of illicit drugs and contraband products valued at over ₦13 billion, outgoing Comptroller Muhammad Babandede announced on Wednesday.
Babandede, recently promoted to Assistant Comptroller General and redeployed to Lagos, described the operation as a “parting gift,” reaffirming the service’s commitment to safeguarding public health and safety.
He disclosed that the containers imported from India and disguised as regular imports held over one million bottles of codeine syrup, more than three million tablets each of Diclofenac and Benzhexol, and several cartons of laboratory equipment, among other prohibited goods.
“Codeine syrup and Tramadol are often abused for their euphoric effect, leading to addiction, dependence and crime,” Babandede warned, noting the smugglers’ “calculative” tactics to evade regulatory scrutiny.
Additional contraband items included used clothing, ceiling fans, plumbing materials, tomato paste, agricultural equipment, and bench vices, all concealed alongside the drugs.
The seized goods were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and prosecution.
Babandede commended the collaboration of sister agencies that made the interception possible and urged continued vigilance against drug trafficking.
