Abuja, Sept. 25, 2025 – The Federal Operations Unit of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted contrabands with duty paid value of N1.6 billion between July and September this year.
The contrabands included raw materials for explosives, Indian hemp and others.
Jerry Attah, the Spokesman for the zone, said in a statement on Monday that Kayode Kolade, the acting Customs Area Controller in the zone, disclosed during this while addressing journalist in Benin City, Edo State.
Kolade said the contrabands were intercepted at different locations, adding that nine suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.
“Other contrabands seized included 417 sacks of cannabis sativa also known as Indian hemp weighing 9; 194kg and 627 compressed parcels of the same Indian hemp one kg each totalling 627kg, nine sacks of explosives’ raw materials (fertilizer, device cables, and superpower90 chemicals) 50kg each; 1,329 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice 50kg each.
“Five cartons of DSP Cough Syrup with Codeine 100mg, containing 1000 bottles; 1 unit of armored bullion van; 761 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing; 883 cartons of various unregistered/expired medicaments, including tramadol, 100 cartons of various wines; 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tires; 335 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato paste; 300 cartons of foreign spaghetti, among others.
“The rice was intercepted along Calabar/Akwa Ibom axis and Okada/Benin Expressway, the 417 sacks and 627 parcels of Indian hemp were intercepted at Okada-Benin and Ewu-Auchi Expressway respectively. 761 Jumbo bales of used clothing mostly concealed in trucks and buses were intercepted along Umeikaa/Aba Road and Okada-Benin road.
“The five cartons of DSP cough syrup with codeine, and 883 cartons of unregistered medicaments were intercepted along Benin/Asaba/Onitsha Expressway, while the armoured bullion van without customs documents and end users certificate was intercepted along Okada/Benin Expressway. 100 cartons of wine and 335 tomato paste were intercepted along the Ewu/Ibilo axis, and 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tires were also intercepted along Cross River waterside and Okada-Benin Expressway,” he said.
