The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested eight suspected smugglers and confiscated contraband items worth over N3.319 billion, officials announced on Tuesday.
Speaking at the command warehouse in Ikeja, Customs Area Comptroller, Gambo Aliyu disclosed that the seizures included 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to 12 trailer loads), 77 bags of sugar, and 21 assorted Tokunbo vehicles.
Other items seized were 3,362 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of petrol (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, and a 20-foot container holding 20 pallets of stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
Aliyu said the operation also intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica, popularly known as “Ghanaian loud,” weighing 1,431 kilograms, dealing a significant blow to drug trafficking networks in the country.
“Drug trafficking fuels criminality, terrorism, and societal vices, erodes morale, and destabilizes the nation,” Aliyu said. He warned that these illicit activities also impose economic and health burdens, particularly on the youth.
In addition, four live pangolins the most trafficked mammals globally were intercepted along Alapa Creek, Ajilete, and handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Centre for safekeeping.
The unit also seized 581 used refrigerator compressors, citing environmental and public health concerns due to the hazardous chemicals often found in such equipment.
The Comptroller stressed that the NCS remains committed to enforcing import and export compliance, addressing cargo misdeclaration, and recovering revenue.
PLATFORM REPORTERS gathered that between December 10, 2025, and Feb 3, 2026, the unit recovered N36.9 million through enforcement actions.
All seized drugs have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution. Aliyu urged smugglers to abandon illicit trade and embrace legitimate business or face stringent legal consequences.
