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The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Ikeja, has recorded major seizures across Lagos and surrounding areas, intercepting 12 trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice and 1,431 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis, popularly called “Ghanaian Loud,” with a combined duty paid value (DPV) of N3.32 billion.
The Comptroller of the unit, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this on Wednesday during his first media briefing, attributing the successes to a comprehensive operational realignment driven by intelligence-based enforcement strategies.
Aliyu explained that the command carried out 144 successful interceptions after overhauling its patrol framework, enhancing internal oversight and replacing routine checkpoints with focused, intelligence-driven deployments across the Lagos metropolis.
Items seized during the operations included 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to 12 truckloads, 77 bags of imported sugar, 21 used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, 915 bales of second-hand clothing and a 20-foot container containing stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
He further revealed that officers intercepted 3,029 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing approximately 1,431 kilogrammes, describing the bust as a major blow to criminal distribution chains that contribute to insecurity nationwide.
According to the Comptroller, illicit drug trafficking remains a critical enabler of crimes such as banditry and terrorism, as narcotics often serve as stimulants that embolden criminal activity and undermine social stability.
Aliyu also disclosed that the command lost an officer in active service on Tuesday, noting that the incident had been officially reported to the Nigeria Customs Service headquarters.
Beyond anti-smuggling operations, the unit recorded key environmental and wildlife-related interventions. These included the rescue of four live pangolins along Alapa Creek in Ajilete, which were subsequently handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Centre for protection.
In another operation, officers seized 581 used refrigerator compressors hidden inside a vehicle. Aliyu said the items pose significant environmental and public health hazards due to the presence of harmful substances and their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
He noted that the seizure was carried out in line with Section 55(1)(d) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, as well as the Basel Convention, which governs the trans-boundary movement of hazardous waste.
Aliyu added that in keeping with inter-agency cooperation, the seized synthetic cannabis would be formally transferred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.
