By Samuel Ike, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, has intercepted contraband goods with a combined duty-paid value of N3.57 billion, including 6,035 parcels of cannabis and 2,339 bags of foreign parboiled rice, as part of its intensified anti-smuggling operations along the border corridor.

The Acting Customs Area Controller, Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this on Thursday while displaying the seized items at the command headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun State. He said the seizures were made between June 24 and August 13, 2026, and included large quantities of petroleum products, sugar, fertiliser, second-hand clothing, cosmetics and other prohibited goods valued at N3,574,435,248.08.

Afeni said the command had strengthened intelligence gathering, technology deployment and enforcement measures to curb smuggling and other cross-border crimes. He warned that smugglers would face increasingly difficult operating conditions, stressing that illicit trade poses serious threats to the economy, local industries and national security.

He noted that the continued smuggling of foreign rice undermines local farmers and investors, discourages domestic production and threatens jobs in the agricultural sector. According to him, patronising smuggled products weakens government efforts to achieve food security and self-sufficiency while exporting economic opportunities to other countries.

On narcotics, Afeni described cannabis trafficking as a major security and public health challenge, warning that substances such as Ghana Loud and other dangerous variants fuel crime and destroy lives. He revealed that the command had handed over 32,412 parcels of hard drugs and 92 sacks of raw cannabis to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) since January, underscoring the importance of inter-agency cooperation in combating drug trafficking.

The Customs chief further disclosed that the command generated over N90 million in revenue in July 2026 and recorded exports of 10,110 metric tonnes valued at N2.59 billion. He urged border communities to support security agencies with timely information and warned criminal syndicates against using Ogun border routes for illegal trade, pledging continued seizures, prosecutions and strict enforcement against offenders.