The Nigeria Customs Service says it has intercepted a consignment of cannabis valued at 18.96 billion naira ($ value not stated), concealed in two used vehicles imported from Canada through the Tin Can Island Port Command.
The Customs Area Controller, Frank Onyeka, told journalists Wednesday at the port that the container was declared as carrying used vehicles but was flagged through intelligence. He said operatives conducted a 100% physical examination of the shipment.
According to Onyeka, the inspection uncovered 185 jumbo bags of cannabis hidden inside a used 2010 Toyota Camry and a 2023 Chevrolet vehicle.
He said further checks revealed 9,450 packages of cannabis weighing 4,729 kilograms, with an estimated street value of 18.96 billion naira.
Onyeka said the seizure resulted from intelligence-driven operations carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and other security agencies.
He described the interception as evidence of the vigilance of officers and the effectiveness of interagency cooperation, noting that it comes days after a strategic agreement between Customs and the NDLEA to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint operations. The agreement, signed April 27, 2026, includes the creation of a standing interagency committee based in Abuja.
Onyeka said the seized drugs have been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and possible prosecution.
He also commended the agency’s professionalism and warned smugglers that there would be no safe haven for illegal activities, adding that the command will continue to deploy intelligence-led enforcement strategies to protect the economy, public health and national security.
Receiving the drugs, Omotoso Solomon , commander of narcotics at the Tin Can Strategic Command of the NDLEA, said the seizure highlights ongoing efforts to strengthen surveillance at the nation’s seaports amid concerns over the use of maritime routes for drug trafficking.
Solomon said the operation was intelligence-driven and credited strong interagency cooperation for its success. He warned traffickers to stay away from the port, describing it as a “no-go area” for illicit activities.
“In the interest of national security and your own future, stay away from Tin Can Island Port,” he said. “Our operations here are firm, coordinated and uncompromising.”
