Customs Seizes 140 Pump-Action Rifles, Cannabis-Infused Snacks Worth ₦374 Million At Tin Can Port

Sherif Salau

The Nigeria Customs Service has seized a major consignment of smuggled firearms and cannabis-infused edible snacks products at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, with a combined street value of approximately ₦374 million.

Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi announced the interceptions at a press briefing held at the port. Officers recovered knock-down components of pump-action rifles from a 20-foot container that arrived in early July. To date, 140 complete rifles have been assembled from the recovered parts, with assembly of the remaining components still under way.

In a related operation, customs officers intercepted two 40-foot containers containing cannabis-infused products carefully concealed among legitimate cargo, including used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics. The seizure comprised thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies and gummies, packaged to resemble ordinary snacks with flavours such as citrus, vanilla and peach pie.

The estimated street value of the narcotics stands at ₦373.8 million. Two suspects are currently in custody assisting investigators, while a principal suspect remains at large and is being actively pursued by law enforcement.

Adeniyi described the seizures as evidence of the growing sophistication of transnational criminal networks that exploit legitimate trade routes to traffic weapons and dangerous substances. He noted that the attractive packaging of the cannabis products could readily appeal to children, students and other young people.

The intercepted items have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution. The operation highlights the Service’s continued reliance on intelligence-led risk profiling and inter-agency collaboration to prevent the entry of prohibited goods into the country.