The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, has arrested a 71-year-old man found in possession of 6.35kg of cocaine valued at N2.35bn, concealed in a Toyota Highlander.
The Customs Area Controller, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this on Tuesday while presenting seized items to journalists in Ikeja. He said the arrest was part of intensified enforcement efforts targeting drug trafficking and smuggling networks.
According to Aliyu, the cocaine was intercepted along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor during a coordinated operation. He added that the suspect was apprehended while transporting the illicit substance in the vehicle.
The comptroller revealed that within the last eight weeks, the unit foiled 473 smuggling attempts and seized contraband with a duty-paid value exceeding N5.5bn.
Items intercepted include 8,794 bags of foreign rice, equivalent to about 15 trailer loads, 22 used vehicles, 1,863 used refrigerator compressors, and 328 bales of used clothing.
Other seized goods comprise 31,705 litres of premium motor spirit, 1,188 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 531 cartons of poultry products, 485 used tyres, and 69 cartons of spaghetti.
Aliyu noted that the seizures were made across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo states, with multiple suspects arrested in connection with the offences.
He also disclosed that officers intercepted four cylinders of mercury weighing 80kg each, describing the substance as hazardous and regulated under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
To strengthen enforcement, the unit launched a special anti-drug operation codenamed ‘Operation Hawk.’ Under the initiative, officers seized 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing 1,540kg.
The comptroller further stated that the unit recovered N97.7m from underpaid duties between February 3 and April 28, 2026, through demand notices and compliance enforcement.
He described the N5.5bn total duty-paid value of seized items as evidence of the scale and effectiveness of ongoing operations against economic sabotage.
Aliyu added that the unit is deploying advanced digital surveillance tools, including geospatial intelligence, satellite imagery, drone monitoring, and predictive analytics, to enhance tracking of smuggling routes.
The seized drugs have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution, while the mercury consignment will be transferred to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
