The Nigeria Customs Service, Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted two 40-foot containers carrying suspected illicit drugs with an estimated street value of ₦3.67 billion at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The substances, which included Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies as well as Cannabis Indica, were concealed among imported used vehicles and automobile spare parts, according to a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Oscar Ivara.
Brandspur Politics understands the seizures were made through joint physical examinations conducted by Customs officers and operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The first container, identified as MSDU655132/0, was intercepted on September 2, 2026. A thorough 100 per cent joint physical examination revealed 890 packs of Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies weighing 598.08 kilogrammes. Hidden alongside the drugs were two used vehicles—a 2008 Mercedes-Benz and a 2012 Nissan Infiniti.
The second container, numbered SKU625643/6, was intercepted on September 16, 2026. Inside, officers discovered 1,207 packages of Cannabis Indica weighing 603.75 kilogrammes. The container also carried two used Toyota Sienna vehicles, two used Toyota Corolla vehicles, and assorted used engine spare parts.
Combined, the two seizures weighed 1,201.83 kilogrammes. Intelligence reports traced the consignments to Canada, according to the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joseph Anani.
The concealment method—tucking narcotics into legitimate vehicle imports and spare parts—illustrates how smuggling networks attempt to exploit containerised cargo to move prohibited items through Nigerian seaports. Ivara noted that the seizures demonstrated the agencies’ resolve to protect public health and national security.
The NDLEA commander at Tin Can Island Port, Solomon Omotosho, raised particular alarm about the cannabis-infused cookies and gummies. He warned that the products could easily find their way into supermarkets and retail outlets, exposing unsuspecting consumers to psychoactive substances without their knowledge. Even small quantities, he said, could affect the central nervous system and trigger serious health complications.
The seized substances will be formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution in line with its statutory mandate.
