NCS Intercepts Cannabis, Rice Worth N3.2bn in Lagos, Ogun

Eromosele Abiodun

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, has said that it seized 12 trucks of foreign parboiled rice and intercepted 1,431 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as “Ghanaian Loud”, in operations that yielded smuggled goods with a total duty paid value (DPV) of N3.32 billion across Lagos and its environs.

Head of the command, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu who disclosed this during his maiden press briefing described the seizures as the outcome of a strategic operational overhaul anchored on intelligence-led enforcement.

Aliyu said the unit recorded 144 interceptions after reorganising patrol patterns, strengthening internal supervision and shifting from predictable checkpoints to targeted deployments across the Lagos metropolis.

According to him, the seizures included 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to 12 trailer loads), 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 units of used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing and a 20-foot container loaded with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.

Aliyu revealed that officers intercepted 3,029 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing about 1,431kg, describing the operation as a significant disruption of criminal supply networks fueling insecurity in the country.

“These seizures occurred against the backdrop of rising banditry, terrorism and other societal vices threatening national stability. Drug trafficking fuels these crimes by providing chemical stimulants that embolden perpetrators and erode social order,” he said.

He disclosed that the command lost one of its officers in the line of duty on Tuesday, noting that the development had been formally communicated to the Customs high command.

The Comptroller also announced notable environmental and wildlife-related interceptions, including four live pangolins rescued along Alapa Creek, Ajilete, and handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Centre.

Similarly, the unit seized 581 used refrigerator compressors concealed in a vehicle, which Aliyu said posed serious environmental and public health risks due to hazardous substances and greenhouse gas emissions.

He explained that the seizure aligned with Section 55(1)(d) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and the Basel Convention, both of which regulate transboundary movement of hazardous waste.

In line with inter-agency collaboration, he disclosed that the seized cannabis would be formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.