Nigeria Customs Illicit Drugs seizure in Onne uncovers 20 containers worth ₦13.5bn, including codeine syrup and fake injections

Nigeria Customs Illicit Drugs seizure has made headlines after officers of the Area II Command, Onne Port in Rivers State, intercepted 20 containers of pharmaceuticals valued at over ₦13.5 billion.

Also read: Nigeria Customs contraband seizure hits ₦1.4bn in major crackdown

Outgoing Controller of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, disclosed this on Wednesday while handing over to his successor, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali.

He revealed that the seized cargo contained 1,195,400 bottles of codeine syrup, 3.2 million extra Diclofenac tablets, 3.5 million benzhexol tablets, 1,633 cartons of laboratory equipment, and 2.6 million analgin injection packages.

Other items included 239,400 ampoules of atesunate injection and nearly 400,000 ampoules of expired aretemac injection.

According to Babandede, the illicit goods imported from India were concealed under the guise of regular imports such as chilly cutters, ceiling fans, plumbing materials, wall lights, used clothes, and even gallons of vegetable oil.

“Some people take illicit medicine without prescription, such as codeine syrup and tramadol, for euphoric effects. This often leads to addiction, dependence, and crime,” he warned.

The Comptroller emphasized that Nigeria faces a persistent challenge with counterfeit and substandard medicines, which pose grave risks to public health. He credited the interception to the commitment and vigilance of his officers.

This major bust comes just a day after the Onne Command announced it had generated ₦859 billion in revenue between May 2024 and July 2025, while also intercepting contraband valued at over ₦200 billion during the same period.

Also read: Customs deploys technology to tackle smuggling at Nigeria–Benin border

The Nigeria Customs Illicit Drugs interception highlights the growing collaboration between Customs and regulatory agencies like NAFDAC to curb the influx of fake and dangerous pharmaceuticals into the country.