The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the interception of smuggled goods valued at N3.1 billion and the arrest of 13 suspects in connection with operations carried out in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti states over the last three weeks.
The Controller of the Unit, Mr Mohammed Shuaibu, displayed the seized goods during a media briefing yesterday at the warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos.
He said the seizures, made between July 18 and August 12, 2025, were the result of intensified border surveillance aimed at protecting the economy and combating illicit trade.
According to him, officers of the FOU Zone A carried out 76 interceptions of contraband goods, including 4,068 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), equivalent to seven trailer loads; 22 used (tokunbo) vehicles, including two Ashok Leyland drilling trucks; 485 jerrycans of 25 litres each of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), totalling 12,125 litres; 120 bales of used clothing; and 57 parcels of cannabis sativa.
Other items seized were 47 cartons of foreign poultry products and 770 jerrycans of 25 litres each of foreign vegetable oil. Shuaibu also disclosed the interception of eight shipping containers carrying misdeclared goods in a bid to evade duties. These included four 40-foot containers loaded with used shoes, cannabis, auto spare parts, tyres, vehicles and furniture, as well as four 20-foot containers containing furniture and Pali Bitters drinks.
He said the seizures were made at strategic points across the South-West, including Ilaro, Owode, Ajilete and Imeko-Afon in Ogun State; the Ondo/Ekiti axis; Shaki and Iseyin in Oyo State; and the Lagos metropolis.
Shuaibu said 13 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, noting that while some had been granted administrative bail, others had been handed over to relevant security agencies for further investigation and possible prosecution. The seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In addition to physical seizures, the unit recovered N47.8 million in unpaid duties through the issuance of demand notices for under-declared or undervalued imports.
“These seizures underscore our operational capabilities and unwavering resolve to dismantle smuggling networks that threaten national security and undermine the fiscal policies of the Federal Government,” he said.
