Health
Customs seize N3.6bn drug-laced cookies
By Anozie Egole
The Nigeria Customs Service, Tin Can Island Port Command, has disclosed that it intercepted two 40-ft containers carrying Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies hidden in importers’ cars at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Oscar Ivara, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
He added that the contraband was intercepted through the sustained vigilance and effective collaboration between officers of the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Giving details of the interception, Ivara explained that on September 2, 2026, a 40-foot container with number MSDU655132/0 was intercepted at Tin Can Island Port.
“Following a thorough 100 per cent joint physical examination conducted by both agencies, it was found to contain a total of 890 packs of Delta-8 cannabis-infused cookies and gummies, with a combined weight of 598.08 kilogrammes, alongside two used vehicles, namely a 2008 Mercedes-Benz and a 2012 Nissan Infiniti,” Ivara said.
He also stressed that on September 16, 2026, another 40-foot container with number SKU625643/6 was intercepted by the command, and a thorough examination revealed a total of “1,207 packages of Cannabis indica weighing 603.75 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of N3.62bn.”
According to him, other items found in the second container included two used Toyota Sienna vehicles, two used Toyota Corolla vehicles and used engine spare parts.
Ivara maintained that the concealment of the illicit substances among vehicles and automobile spare parts further highlights the determination of smugglers to exploit containerised cargo to facilitate the movement of prohibited items.
He further disclosed that across the two containers, the combined seizures amounted to 1,201.83 kilogrammes of suspected illicit drug-related substances, while both containers had an estimated “combined street value of N3.67bn.”
Ivara described the seizures as part of the service’s collective resolve to prevent the smuggling of illicit substances through the country’s seaports and to protect the health, safety and security of citizens.
He stated that, in line with established procedures and the commitment to effective inter-agency collaboration, the seized illicit substances would be formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
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