Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted cannabis-infused cookies, gummies and other suspected illicit drugs worth approximately ₦3.67 billion concealed in two 40-foot containers at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.
The seizures, weighing a combined 1,201.83 kilogrammes, comprised 890 packs of Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies and 1,207 packages of Cannabis Indica, according to the Customs Service.
The prohibited substances were discovered during separate operations conducted on September 2 and 16, 2026, through intelligence-led enforcement and collaboration between Customs officers and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Port Command, Joseph Anani, disclosed the seizures during a press briefing at the port on Friday.
Anani said the first interception involved a 40-foot container identified as MSDU655132/0, which officers from both agencies subjected to a 100 per cent joint physical examination on September 2.
The examination uncovered 890 packs of Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies weighing 598.08 kilogrammes.
A used 2008 Mercedes-Benz and a 2012 Nissan Infiniti were also found in the container. Anani put the value of the first consignment at approximately ₦53 million.
The second seizure involved container SKU625643/6, intercepted on September 16.
According to the controller, a physical examination revealed 1,207 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 603.75 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of ₦3.62 billion.
Officers also discovered two used Toyota Sienna vehicles, two used Toyota Corolla vehicles and used engine spare parts inside the container.
The combined value of the two seizures stood at approximately ₦3.67 billion, while the total weight of the recovered substances exceeded 1.2 tonnes.
Customs warns smugglers
Anani said concealing the suspected illicit drugs among imported vehicles and automobile spare parts demonstrated how smugglers attempted to exploit containerised cargo to move prohibited substances into Nigeria.
He attributed the interceptions to intelligence-led enforcement operations and effective cooperation between the Customs Service and the NDLEA.
The controller said the seized substances were to be formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and other necessary actions within the agency’s statutory mandate.
He described collaboration between both agencies as essential to identifying and dismantling networks involved in drug trafficking.
“This partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA remains critical to identifying, intercepting and dismantling the activities of individuals and networks involved in drug trafficking,” Anani said.
The Customs chief warned individuals involved in the illegal importation of prohibited substances against using Tin Can Island Port for criminal activities.
He maintained that the port would not serve as a safe haven for smugglers, adding that the command would intensify surveillance, intelligence gathering, cargo examination and enforcement operations to prevent prohibited items from entering the country undetected.
Anani also urged importers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and other port stakeholders to comply with existing laws, regulations and import procedures.
He warned against using legitimate commercial transactions as a cover for criminal activities.
The controller commended officers of both agencies for their vigilance and professionalism, stressing that effective inter-agency cooperation remained a critical tool in combating smuggling and other transnational crimes.
