Two shipments of imported vehicles and automobile parts have yielded 1.2 tonnes of suspected illicit drugs worth ₦3.67bn at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, after joint inspections by Customs officers and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The seizures involved cannabis-infused cookies and gummies in one container and 1,207 packages of Cannabis Indica in another. The shipments also contained used cars and engine spare parts.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, intercepted the containers on 2 and 16 September 2026. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Oscar Ivara, disclosed the recoveries in a statement issued on Friday.
The combined weight of the substances was 1,201.83 kilogrammes. The command estimated their street value at ₦3.67bn.
The discoveries raise questions about the use of ordinary imported goods to conceal prohibited substances during international cargo transportation. The command said smugglers attempted to exploit containerised shipments to bring illegal products into Nigeria.
Two containers, different drug consignments
The first interception involved container MSDU655132/0, which Customs officers stopped on 2 September.
A joint physical examination by the NCS and the NDLEA uncovered 890 packs of Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies weighing 598.08 kilogrammes.
The shipment also contained a 2008 Mercedes-Benz and a 2012 Nissan Infiniti.
The second container, identified as SKU625643/6, was intercepted on 16 September. Examination revealed 1,207 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 603.75 kilogrammes.
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Ivara valued the drugs recovered from the second shipment at ₦3.62bn. That figure accounts for nearly all the estimated ₦3.67bn value assigned to the combined seizures.
The container also carried two used Toyota Sienna vehicles, two used Toyota Corolla vehicles and used engine spare parts.
The two interceptions involved different cannabis products, but the method of concealment was similar. Both shipments carried suspected illicit substances alongside vehicles or automobile components.
The command did not disclose the origin of the containers, the identities of their importers or the intended recipients of the consignments.
It also did not provide details of any arrests connected with the interceptions.
NDLEA to take custody of seized substances
The Customs command said it would formally hand over the recovered substances to the NDLEA for further investigation and other necessary action under the agency’s legal mandate.
The handover will allow the anti-drug agency to handle the case within its statutory responsibilities. However, the command did not provide a date for the transfer.
Ivara credited the joint operation to the vigilance of officers from both agencies. He said their cooperation was important in identifying and dismantling networks involved in drug trafficking.
He also said the command would continue surveillance, intelligence gathering, cargo inspections and enforcement operations with relevant security and regulatory agencies.
The command’s warning extended to businesses and individuals involved in importing and handling goods at the port.
Ivara called on importers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and other industry participants to comply with applicable laws, regulations and import procedures.
He warned those involved in illegal drug imports to stop their activities.
“Let me use this opportunity to send a clear and unequivocal message to smugglers and all individuals engaged in the illegal importation of prohibited substances: desist from these criminal activities immediately,” Ivara said.
He also stressed that lawful commercial shipments must not serve as a means of concealing prohibited goods.
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