Customs Intercepts Expired, Hard Drugs Worth Over N1.8 Billion

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has lauded the efforts of the Apapa Command in the fight to rid the country of the unwholesome activities of smugglers.

This is even as he announced the seizure of expired and contraband pharmaceutical products worth over N1.8 billion.

At a press briefing on Thursday August 15, 2024  the NCS boss, commended the Apapa Command Comptroller, Babatunde Olomu and the operatives for justifying the confidence reposed in them by the Government and NCS management.

According to him, the Apapa Command handles the highest volume of trade for the NCS, collects the highest revenue, and as such is saddled with a higher degree of expectations from both the Government and the Service.

Adeniyi informed that the intercepted pharmaceutical products were illegally imported into the country through the Lagos port.

The illicit products include tramadol, codeine and others considered to be without registration numbers, thereby constituting nuisance to the health of consumers.

Besides, the NCS Comptroller General noted that the drugs are in themselves, a huge threat to the security of the country.

Such pharmaceutical products, he insisted, are being used to negatively influence the behavioural pattern of criminal elements in the society.

He noted that the seized drugs were imported into the country ,without recourse to laid down rules and regulations by such regulatory bodies as the National Agency For For Food and Drug Adminstration NAFDAC .

” We also have containers that were seized due to false declarations, ostensibly to evade duty payments which amounts to smuggling.

In total, 12 containers were seized. These importations are in flagrant violation of Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act NCSA 2023.

One of the seized containers, a 1×40 ft container with box number SEGU4339917 was declared to contain baclofen tablets, metoprolol succinate, atenolol gloves, losartan potassium, hydrochlorothiazide, atorvastatin calcium, esomeprazole magnesium ,diclofenac, sodium, topical gel, valsartan tablets ,losartan potassium and timololmaleate .

Upon examination, the container was found to be laden with daily health immune supplements that expired in July this year, acyclovir capsules that expired in April 2024, valsartan tablets ( 320mg and 160mg ) that expired in June 2024, prednisone tablets ( USP 10mg) that expired in June 2024, Losartan potassium tablets ( 100mg) that expired in June 2024.