Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Area II Command, Onne, Rivers State, have seized 20 containers filled with illicit drugs worth N13.5 billion in duty paid value.
The outgoing Controller of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, made the disclosure while presenting the seized items to journalists in Onne on Wednesday.
Shortly afterward, he handed over leadership of the command to his successor, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali.
According to Babandede, the intercepted containers contained 1,195,400 bottles of codeine syrup, 3,200,000 tablets of extra Diclofenac, 3,500,000 tablets of benzhexol, 1,633 cartons of laboratory equipment, and 2,612,400 Analgin injections, alongside several other pharmaceuticals.
He revealed that the products, which were imported from India, had been disguised as regular imports such as chilly cutters, ceiling fans, plumbing materials, used clothes, and vegetable oil, among other items.
The outgoing controller explained that the influx of counterfeit and substandard medicines had long posed a danger to public health.
He said, “Exactly six weeks ago, the Comptroller-General of Customs and Director General of NAFDAC were here, where some containers of illicit medicine were intercepted and handed over to NAFDAC… In furtherance of this commitment to public health and safety, I am pleased to share a recent significant breakthrough in our ongoing efforts to combat illicit trade in medicine.”
He added that the seizure was achieved through the dedication and vigilance of the officers of the command.
The interception was announced barely a day after the Onne Command disclosed that it had generated N859 billion in revenue between May 2024 and July 2025.