By Erewunmi Peace

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted two containers from Canada loaded with illicit drugs concealed in imported vehicles, with a total estimated street value of over ₦5.304 billion.

The Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Lagos on Friday. He said the seizure followed weeks of intelligence sharing and collaboration between the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to Nnadi, the first container, HLXU8500072, which arrived from Montreal, Canada, was intercepted on September 4, 2025, and contained 78 kilograms of cannabis (Colorado Indica) and 1.2 kilograms of hashish oil hidden inside four used vehicles.

A second container, FANU312876/9, which arrived on October 24, 2025, was found to contain 1,093 kilograms of Cannabis Indica and 8 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, also concealed in four vehicles.

He said the drugs were handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, in line with inter-agency collaboration against narcotics smuggling.
“This interception underscores our renewed vigilance at the ports and our zero-tolerance stance against the importation of illicit substances,”
Comptroller Nnadi stated.
“We will continue to work with sister agencies to protect Nigeria’s borders and ensure national security.”

The controller attributed the success to improved intelligence gathering and the deployment of modern scanning technology at the Tin Can Island Port.

He warned importers and agents to desist from illegal trade, stressing that the service would not compromise its duty to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and citizens.

The seizure marks one of the largest drug busts recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2025.