Customs Intercepts Rifle Components, Seizes Cannabis Products Worth ₦373.8m at Lagos Port

Customs Intercepts Rifle Components, Seizes Cannabis Products Worth ₦373.8m at Lagos Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a container containing components of more than 140 pump-action rifles and seized cannabis-infused products valued at approximately ₦373.8 million at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

The seizures were made during intelligence-led operations aimed at disrupting the movement of prohibited goods through Nigeria’s maritime borders.

According to a statement by the NCS Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the suspected rifle components were discovered after the container was flagged through the Service’s intelligence-driven risk management system.

The components were preliminarily identified as parts of Jojeff pump-action rifles. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the shipment, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend another suspect who is currently at large.

In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted several consignments of cannabis-infused products concealed among other imported goods. The items recovered included 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies, 125 cartons of gummies and 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, warned that criminal networks could attempt to exploit Nigeria’s borders, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle.

He said the NCS would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations across the nation’s borders while strengthening measures to address internal complicity and prevent the abuse of legitimate trade channels by criminal networks.

Adeniyi also called on members of the public to provide credible and timely information to security authorities, stressing that effective collaboration among security agencies and citizens remains essential to combating smuggling, protecting national borders and safeguarding public safety.

The latest seizures, according to the Service, underscore the importance of intelligence-led border enforcement and continued cooperation among the NCS and other security agencies in preventing prohibited items from entering the country.

Customs Intercepts Rifle Components, Seizes Cannabis Products Worth ₦373.8m at Lagos Port