Customs Hands Over Seized Illicit Drugs Worth N3.6bn to NDLEA at Tin Can

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has handed over seized illicit drugs masked as cookies, to representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and necessary action.

The handover took place on Friday, 9 October 2026, at the Tin Can Port, Apapa, Lagos.

At the event, the Customs Area Controller of TCIPC, Comptroller of Customs Joe Anani, informed that the interception followed a thorough 100 percent joint physical examination.

He explained that on 2 September 2026, a 40-foot container with number MSDU655132/0 was intercepted at Tin Can Island Port, following a thorough 100 percent joint physical examination.

“We found a total of 890 packs of Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies, with a combined weight of 598.08 kilograms, alongside two used vehicles, a 2008 Mercedes-Benz and a 2012 Infiniti,” he said.

Comptroller Anani stated that another 40-foot container with number SKU625643/6 was also found containing 1,207 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 603.75 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N3,621,000,000.

The combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of both seizures, according to him, is estimated at N3,674,400,000.

He restated the dangers of importing Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies, stressing sustained vigilance and effective collaboration with sister security agencies made the seizures possible.

According to him, by intercepting the illicit drug, the Operatives had protected innocent citizens from unknowingly consuming the tainted edibles.

In line with established procedures and a commitment to effective inter-agency collaboration, Comptroller Anani formally handed over the illicit substances to the representatives of NDLEA rfor further investigation and necessary action.

Receiving the items, the Commandant of the NDLEA Tin Can Strategic Command, Commander Solomon Omotosho, highlighted the public safety concerns, especially for minors, saying, “As it stands, what we are seeing today is not ordinary cookies because innocent children can buy them and consume them unknowingly. I want to sound a warning to criminals and their associates that there will be a no-go area for any form of unwanted activities,” he said.

Omotosho described the operational success as a triumph of joint enforcement synergy and a signal to smugglers and others involved in transnational crimes that the Command remains committed to protecting the national interest.