The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered a massive smuggling operation at the Apapa Port, seizing 11 containers loaded with unregistered sex-enhancement drugs, expired food items, and un-authorized military-grade drones, with a total duty-paid value of N921 million
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures—made between January and April 2025—exposed a disturbing trend in illicit imports aimed at compromising public health and national security.
The seized items include five 40-foot containers and two 20-foot containers, as well as four additional containers packed with contraband items concealed under false declarations.
Adeniyi detailed the contents of the containers, stating that five were filled with sex-enhancement drugs lacking regulatory approvals, warning they could pose serious health risks including cardiovascular failure and adverse drug interactions.
“The third 40ft container had 1,001 cartons and packages of hydra-sildenafil citrate tablets. These are also lacking requisite NAFDAC registrations,” he said.
“Another had 1,400 packages of ‘Chest and Lungs Beta Plus Big Booty Tablets,’ again, unregistered. One was even falsely declared as cosmetic powder.”
Two 20-foot containers were loaded with expired margarine products, which Adeniyi described as dangerous to public health and in violation of food safety regulations.
More alarmingly, one container contained 60 units of “warrior drones”—military-grade equipment valued at N15.9 billion—while another carried 53 helicopter drones and high-powered FM transceivers, all imported without End User Certificates from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“These are controlled equipment. The lack of proper documentation makes them a national security threat,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss expressed concern over the increasing sophistication of smuggling rings, noting that contraband items are now often falsely declared as general merchandise or disguised within legal products.
“Two of the pharmaceutical containers were concealed with skin creams to avoid detection,” he noted.
“The blending of food, pharmaceuticals, and surveillance technology in single shipments points to a coordinated and organized criminal enterprise.”
He warned that these patterns indicate that smugglers are evolving beyond small-scale traders into syndicates with transnational capabilities, capable of undermining national health systems and security frameworks.
Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service is closely collaborating with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the NDLEA, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to prevent such illegal items from entering the country.
“Our collaboration is backed by Memoranda of Understanding and joint operational frameworks that have significantly enhanced enforcement,” he said.
“There is a nexus between unregistered pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and national security threats.”
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Olakunle Olaniran, Director of Ports Inspection at NAFDAC, revealed that some of the seized drugs bore fake registration numbers, and one product—intended for industrial coal treatment—was fraudulently labelled as tramadol.
“One product was even passed off as a mental health medication but had no known pharmaceutical identifier,” he said, warning that such products could cause irreversible harm to unsuspecting consumers.
* Media Report