By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a major enforcement success at the Tincan Island Port Command in Lagos with the interception of concealed pump-action rifle parts and cannabis-infused products valued at N373.8 million.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed the development during a press briefing on Thursday, describing the seizures as a testament to the Service’s intelligence-driven approach to combating smuggling and other transnational crimes.
Adeniyi explained that one of the intercepted containers, TEMU 184536/9, arrived at Tincan Port on July 8, 2026, aboard the vessel MV VELIKA. The container was flagged by the Customs risk management system and subsequently placed under close surveillance.
According to him, a thorough physical examination conducted at the Customs Enforcement Station uncovered concealed wooden crates containing knocked-down components of JoJeff pump-action rifles.
He said the recovered firearm parts are currently undergoing detailed technical assessment and inventory to determine their exact quantity and specifications.
The Customs boss further revealed that investigations into the shipment led to the arrest of a suspect on July 31, 2026, at the Migfo Bonded Terminal while allegedly attempting to facilitate the release of the container.
Preliminary investigations, he said, uncovered documentary, financial and telecommunications evidence linking the suspect to the consignee named in the import documents. Among the evidence was a N10,000 transfer from a company account associated with the consignee on the day of the arrest.
Adeniyi disclosed that two suspects are presently in custody, while another principal suspect remains at large and is being tracked by security operatives.
In a related operation, Customs officers intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with cannabis-infused products concealed among various imported items. The goods were hidden alongside two used vehicles, two used pumping generators, polypropylene spunbond fabric, tubular batteries and thunder arrester cables.
Items recovered from the containers included 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies, 125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies and 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies.
The Customs Service placed the combined street value of the seized cannabis products at N373,802,640.
Adeniyi noted that the seizures underscore the growing sophistication of criminal networks that exploit legitimate trade channels to smuggle weapons and illicit drugs into the country.
He reiterated the Service’s resolve to dismantle such networks, assuring that all individuals connected to the illegal shipments would be identified, arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Comptroller-General commended officers and men of the Tincan Island Port Command and the Customs Enforcement Unit for their vigilance and professionalism, stressing that the Service remains committed to protecting Nigeria’s borders while facilitating legitimate trade.
He assure
d Nigerians that the nation’s ports would continue to be closely monitored to prevent the entry of prohibited items and other threats to national security.
