Apapa Customs Marks A Significant Milestone In Interception Of Helipcopter Drones, Pharmaceutical Products, Others Worth N921M

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By Asuquo Nuwak

Apapa Customs Marks A Significant Milestone In Interception Of Helipcopter Drones, Pharmaceutical Products, Others Worth N921M

••• CGC inspects implementation of B’Odogwu at PTML, TCIP

The Nigeria Customs Service has disclosed the interception of a large consignment of fake, expired, and unregistered pharmaceuticals, along with controlled equipment, including drones and telecommunication devices, valued at N921 million.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Apapa port recently, said that 53 units of helicopter drones and 60 units of warrior drones were among the high profile items seized.

The seizures were said to have been recorded in Apapa Customs Command between January and April this year,
as part of the anti-smuggling efforts of the Service in keeping with Section 246 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and in exercise of powers conferred on it.

In the area of anti-smuggling operations, Adeniyi said a total of 11 seizures comprising five units of 40-foot containers, two units of 20-foot containers, four additional contraband items were loosely concealed.

During the press briefing, CGC said the contraband items were categories into three principal part, including unregistered pharmaceutical products, which lack mandatory NAFDAC registration numbers and certification.
These items are direct contravention of Section 28 of the NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004 as amended. Moreso, these items constitute 63.7% of the total seizure
value.

The breakdown of the items included expired food items with compromised safety profiles, which pose imminent danger to public health, if it is allowed to be introduced into the consumer market, it will violate the food products, registration, regulations and the pre-shipment inspection of exports Act.

Further breakdown of the items included controlled equipment, drone technology, and telecommunications devices imported without requisite end-user certificates from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as mandated by the National Security Agencies Act.

In line with Service procedure, the CGC presented the detailed breakdown of these seizures, including
40ft container No. CAAU 6514500. containing 891 cartons of unregistered pharmaceutical products including REDSUN SILDENAFIL CITRATE ORAL JELLY (100MG), ANTI-DOULEUR HUILE (60ML), DR. ICO CYPROPHEPTADINE WITH MULTIVITAMIN TABLET, SAMSON OIL (2ML), ROCKET SILDENAFIL CITRATE TABLET (20OMG), DR. ICO HERBAL INHALER, and DR. ICO PAIN RELIEF
OIL without NAFDAC registration numbers, with a Duty Paid Value of
₦142,296,505.

The breakdown of the seizures included 40ft container no. TCNU 6880130, containing 242 cartons of COL CAPS-CHLOROPHENIRAMINE-MALEATE CAPSULES
unregistered pharmaceuticals, without NAFDAC registration numbers, with a Duty Paid Value of ₦140,101,224. It is reported that the container and its contents have been seized and would be condemned according to extant laws.

Further breakdown of the seizures included 40ft container no. MRSU 3041714. containing 1,001 cartons/packages of HYEGRA SILDENAFIL CITRATE TABLETS 200mg unregistered pharmaceuticals without NAFDAC registration numbers.

These items were said to have been falsely declared as OMEPRAZOLE CAPSULE, with a Duty Paid Value of ₦143,234,502. So far, the container is reported to have been seized in accordance with section 246(g) of the NCS Act 2023.

Furthermore, the seizure included 40ft container no. UETU 6679312, containing 1,400 packages of ORIGINAL CHEST & LUNGS, VITAPLUS (BIG BOOTY TABLETS), CYPROHIPTADIN WITH B-COMPLEX TABLETS, without NAFDAC
registration numbers, with a Duty Paid Value of ₦145,023,204.

Moreover, other seized items included 40ft container no. TCKU 6930113, containing 805 packages of GBOGBONISE SKIN CREAM and 536 packages of SKIN
CHEMIST CREAM, without NAFDAC registration numbers, which were was falsely declared as 1,341 packages of cosmetic powder, with a Duty Paid Value of
₦141,576,012. Meanwhile, the containers and its contents have been seized according to section 246(g) of the NCS Act.

Other seized items included 20ft container no. GCNU 1367992, containing expired margarine products with a Duty Paid Value of ₦120,113,043. At the same time, the container and expired products is reported to have been seized and condemned, through Federal High Court suit no. FHC/L/MISC/229/2024 of 6th May, 2024.

Another seized items included 20ft container no. GCNU 1372704, containing expired margarine products with a Duty Paid Value of ₦120,113,043. As the case may be, this container has also been seized and condemned through Federal High Court suit no. FHC/L/MISC/229/2024 of 6th May 2024.

Beside this, the intercepted items included 60 units of warrior drone. These drones seizure no. NCS/INV/APQ/25/0001E of 16/01/025) were evacuated from 40ft container no. MSKU 9329923 for lack of end-user certificate, with a Duty Paid Value of ₦15,914,681. They have been seized in line with extant laws.

Beyond that, the items seized included 53 Units of different helicopter drones. These
drones seizure no. NCS/INV/APQ/25/002E of 29/01/25) were evacuated from SIFAX III for lack of end-user certificate, with a Duty Paid Value of
₦2,139,928.

Apart from this, other seized items included 10 pieces of professional FM transceiver walkie-talkie.These communication devices seizure no. NCS/INV/APQ/25/003E of 15/02/25) were evacuated from ENL for lack of end-user certificate, with a Duty Paid Value, of ₦520,000.

Once again, the seized items included 20ft container no. SUDU 1408819, containing 500 packages of ARTE-PHARMARTEQUICK (ARTEMISININ
62.5mg/PIPERAQUANINE 375mg) without NAFDAC registration
number, with a Duty Paid Value of ₦70,102,114. The container and its contents is said to have been seized according to extant laws.

In analysing the seizures pattern, the report said the Service has identified several significant patterns that warrant public attention, including pattern of sexual enhancement drugs. As five of the eleven seizures involved various forms of sildenafil citrate and related sexual enhancement medications. The report said, this is a disturbing trend in the importation of unregulated sexual performance drugs that pose serious health risks, including potential cardiovascular complications and harmful drug interactions when used without proper medical supervision.

Under strategic misdeclaration tactics, report said the Service have observed a sophisticated pattern of misdeclaration, where importers deliberately classify pharmaceuticals as general merchandise or cosmetics.

The report noted that container MRSU 3041714 declared sildenafil products as omeprazole capsules, while TCKU 6930113 concealed skin creams as cosmetic powder. The report said this demonstrates calculated attempts to evade regulatory scrutiny.

In the area of diversification of contraband portfolio, report said the seizures reveal that importers are diversifying their contraband portfolios by combining pharmaceuticals, food items, and controlled technology in systematic shipments. According to the report, this suggests the emergence of organized networks with sophisticated logistics capabilities rather than isolated smuggling attempts.

In the area of strategic country of origin selection, analysis reveals a pattern in the selection of countries of origin, with many consignments originating from jurisdictions with less stringent pharmaceutical export controls. This, according to the report, indicates deliberate exploitation of regulatory gaps in the international supply chain.

In the area of escalation of non-pharmaceutical security threats, the report said the significant number of drone seizures of 113 units across two incidents without proper end-user certificates, to represent an emerging security concern beyond traditional contraband. The inclusion of communication devices suggests potential applications beyond recreational use.

In analysing the financial scale, the report said the consistent valuation of pharmaceutical containers between ₦140-145 million per 40ft container, indicates a standardized commercial operation with established pricing structures, suggesting these are not opportunistic shipments, but rather a systematic business operations.

In the area of inter-agency collaboration and operational context, the report pointed out that reference is made to the Service on-going strategic partnerships with critical regulatory agencies, including but not limited to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The report went on to say that these formal collaborations operate under established Memoranda of Understanding and joint operational frameworks that have demonstrably enhanced the Service enforcement capabilities.
Beyond that, the report has it that
as documented in the Service joint operations report of January 2025, the nexus between unregistered pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and national security infrastructure continues to present a multidimensional threat matrix to the sovereignty.

The report further said that the empirical evidence drawn from the Service intelligence analysis indicates that these contraband items serve dual purposes, including primarily as revenue generators for transnational criminal organizations, and secondarily as operational enablers for non-state actors engaging in activities prejudicial to national security.

Aside from this, the report said the seizures presented must be contextualized within our broader enforcement statistics.

The report said during the first quarter of 2025, the Service recorded a total of 22 narcotics interceptions with a cumulative Duty Paid Value of ₦730,748,173, representing a 34.6% increase over the corresponding period in 2024.

In highlighting this data, the report disclosed that the Service made progressive implementation of intelligence-led enforcement strategy.

During the press briefing, the CGC commended all officers and men of the Apapa Customs Command who, through their vigilance, professionalism, and dedication to duty, successfully executed these interceptions.

He said their actions are exemplary, as their core values of the Service as articulated in the code of conduct, include integrity, professionalism, and patriotism. He said
it is imperative to re-emphasize that the Nigeria Customs Service shall maintain an uncompromising stance on enforcement of import regulations.

In addition to this, he said the Service hereby serve notice to all importers, exporters, agents, and other stakeholders within the international trade environment that the Service intelligence network, technological capabilities, and inter-agency collaborations have been significantly enhanced to detect and intercept prohibited items regardless of concealment methods or documentation subterfuge.

In conclusion, the CGC said the Service has documented a concerning trend of increasing sophistication in smuggling techniques, which necessitates corresponding advancement in the Service enforcement methodologies.

He assured that the Service shall deploy all resources at their disposal to ensure that Nigeria’s borders remain secure against the importation of items prejudicial to national security, economic prosperity, and public health.

In the light of the above, he said the Service hereby solicits the continued cooperation of all stakeholders in ensuring compliance with extant import guidelines. He further urged members of the public to utilize the Service confidential channels for reporting suspicious shipments or import activities. He pointed out that their collective vigilance remains the most effective deterrent against transnational criminal networks attempting to compromise our borders.