Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Command, has intercepted 185 jumbo bags of Cannabis Indica concealed with 20a 10 Toyota Camry and 2023 Chevrolet Colorado with an estimated street value of N18.9 billion.
This was disclosed during a joint examination with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Tincan Island Port Strategic Command.
The service’s Area Controller, Comptroller, Frank Onyeka, said on Thursday that following credible intelligence and sustained inter-agency cooperation, officers of the command, working jointly with personnel of the NDLEA, conducted a 100 per cent physical examination on a container, which had been red-flagged, leading to the seizures.
Onyeka added that upon thorough examination, it was discovered that the container contained the contraband, explaining that further examination revealed that the seizures comprised 9,458 packages, with a total weight of 4,729 kilogrammes.
As part of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the agreement, Onyeka stressed that both agencies would follow on strengthening inter-agency partnership through regular engagements, structured intelligence sharing, and develop coordinated operational guidelines to ensure seamless collaboration.
The comptroller said that the agreement establishes that the headquarters of the standing inter-agency committee was to be domiciled at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
He explained that the Tincan Island Port Command had remained resolute in its commitment to intensifying synergy with all relevant agencies to secure our borders and ports, adding that Customs would continue to deploy intelligence-driven strategies and robust enforcement measures to combat smuggling and illicit trade.
Onyeka warned that Customs, in collaboration with its partners, was fully prepared and determined to detect, intercept, and prosecute all forms of illegal activities.
He said: “This significant seizure demonstrates the vigilance, professionalism and dedication of our officers, and affirms the strength of our collaboration with sister agencies.
“Today, we formally hand over these illicit drugs to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution in line with their statutory mandate.
“This achievement is particularly significant as it comes shortly after the historic agreement between the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen inter-agency synergy against drug trafficking and organised crime.
“This framework, which is already yielding tangible results, was signed on April 27, 2026, at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.”
