By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko Border, has intercepted hard drugs and other prohibited items valued at over ₦2.6 billion in a series of intelligence-driven operations across Ogun State.

The Acting Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this on Wednesday during a briefing to journalists on the achievements recorded within 11 days of his assumption of office.

Afeni said the command seized 16 kilogrammes of heroin, 12 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (ICE), and 1,502 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa during six coordinated operations conducted between Thursday, December 4, and Monday, December 15, 2025, at different locations in the state.

According to him, the narcotics included 16 wraps of heroin weighing 16kg and 11 wraps of crystal meth weighing 12kg. He added that the cannabis sativa, intercepted in various sizes, comprised 128 doughnut-sized units, 2,752 coconut-sized units, and 401 booklet-sized units, with a combined weight of 1,502kg.

The Customs boss put the Duty Payable Value (DPV) of the drug seizures at ₦463 million, describing the development as disturbing, given the devastating impact of illicit drugs on youths, public health, and national security.

In line with inter-agency collaboration, Afeni said the seized narcotics had been formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation and prosecution.

Beyond drugs, Afeni revealed that the command also intercepted several consignments of prohibited food items. He said that on December 12, 2025, officers seized an Iveco truck with registration number RMY 354 XA conveying 4,998 cartons of Doga brand spaghetti and 419 cartons of Oba brand spaghetti, both weighing 10kg each and illegally imported from Turkey.

Similarly, on December 13, 2025, a DAF truck with registration number JHN-590-X was intercepted with 2,200 kegs of vegetable oil, 25 litres each, of Indonesian origin. He noted that the food items were prohibited for importation into Nigeria.

Afeni stated that the combined Duty Paid Value of the seized food items stood at ₦291.26 million, while the trucks used for conveyance were valued at ₦222 million, adding that both the goods and vehicles were liable to forfeiture to the Federal Government in accordance with the law. He warned that smuggled and substandard food products posed serious health risks to Nigerians.

Other seizures recorded by the command include 6,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 4,738 bags of foreign parboiled rice, two foreign-used vehicles, eight means of conveyance, and 309 bundles of used pneumatic tyres, with an estimated DPV of ₦1.5 billion.

On revenue generation, Afeni disclosed that despite being primarily an enforcement command, Ogun I Area Command generated ₦27.29 million within the period through the efforts of its officers and the cooperation of compliant traders.

Reaffirming the resolve of the command to combat smuggling, Afeni assured that Customs would continue to intensify surveillance, deploy intelligence, and deepen collaboration with sister agencies and community stakeholders to safeguard Nigeria’s economic and security interests.