Tin Can Customs Uncovers ₦5.3bn Drug Haul Concealed in Imported Vehicles
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Tin Can Island Port dealt a major blow to international drug trafficking rings as it intercepted two containers stuffed with high-value narcotics shrewdly concealed inside imported vehicles — a cache valued at over ₦5.3 billion on the street market.
The discovery — made through coordinated intelligence — involved vehicles imported from Canada, each deliberately packed with large quantities of Colorado Indica, hashish oil, and crystal methamphetamine (“Meth”), one of the deadliest illicit substances in the global narcotics trade.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, during a press briefing in Lagos on Friday, October 24, 2025, said the seizures were a strong signal to criminal networks that Nigeria’s maritime borders remain under uncompromising surveillance.
Highlights of the Interception
Container 1 (from Montreal, Canada), seized on September 4, 2025, held:
Four vehicles concealing
156 packets of Colorado Indica (78kg)
1.2kg of Hashish oil
Container 2, seized on October 24, 2025, was found with:
Four vehicles concealing
2,081 packages of Cannabis Indica (1,093kg)
8kg of Crystal Meth
Total street value seized: ₦5.304 billion
All narcotics have since been officially handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for investigation and prosecution.
Comptroller Onyeka praised the NDLEA, Nigerian Navy, Police and other partner agencies for their unwavering collaboration — while warning drug cartels that Tin Can Port will remain “resolute, vigilant, and uncompromising.”
He urged genuine traders to stick strictly to accurate declarations and international trade protocols, appreciating the support of the Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the media, and his dedicated officers.
Receiving the items, NDLEA Commander Daniel Onyishi applauded the seizure as a strong example of effective inter-agency intelligence, assuring the public that every gram recovered will be traced, investigated, and lawfully destroyed.