Customs CG, Bashir Adeniyi emphasises use of technology in cargo clearance

 

 

 

Segun Oladipupo

 

 

 

 

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has expressed the need to expand the use of scanning technology.to strengthen non-intrusive inspection as well as combining it with intelligence-driven risk management that will enable the Service concentrate physical examinations on high-risk shipments and facilitate faster clearance for compliant traders

 

The Controller General of the Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi at a press briefing in Apapa, Lagos, yesterday.

 

He added that the strategic objective is to significantly increase the proportion of cargo subjected to scanning across all major entry points in Nigeria before the end of the year, including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne, Calabar and other operational commands.

 

He said, “This shift will enhance enforcement accuracy, reduce port congestion and support our broader goal of facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining robust border control.”

 

According to the Customs boss, over the past year, the Service has intensified the deployment of technology-driven enforcement tools, particularly Non-Intrusive Inspection systems (scanning), to strengthen cargo examination procedures and improve efficiency at our ports.

 

He maintained that the systems enable officers to examine containerized cargo rapidly, detect anomalies in declarations and identify suspicious consignments without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate trade flows.

 

Giving the statistics, the current operational data from Apapa Port shows that 3,236 consignments were processed through the Orange channel (Non-Intrusive Inspection – scanning), 5,490 through the Yellow channel (documentary checks), while a significantly higher 21,373 consignments were subjected to full physical examination under the Red channel.

 

Additionally, 1,118 consignments passed through the Blue channel and 149 through the Green channel, reflecting varying levels of facilitation based on compliance and risk profiling.

 

His words, “It is important to emphasize that achieving this target will depend largely on the level of compliance demonstrated by traders and other stakeholders within the port ecosystem. As compliance improves, Customs will be able to rely more on technology-driven inspection and risk management rather than time-consuming physical examination.

 

“This is why we strongly encourage traders to continue improving their compliance culture and take advantage of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which provides trusted traders with predictable clearance processes and faster cargo facilitation.

 

The seizures we are presenting today are a direct outcome of this shift toward intelligence-driven enforcement supported by scanning technology and targeted physical examination.

 

Through careful risk profiling and non intrusive inspection procedures, officers of the Service identified several containers with irregular cargo profiles that warranted further examination. What we are presenting today involves thirteen (13) containers and additional contraband items intercepted through coordinated enforcement operations.

 

Declaring the seizure made at the command with detailed scanning analysis and physical examination, he said officers uncovered the following consignments:

a. A 40-foot container (HASU 4072659) conveying large quantities of expired pharmaceutical products including Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, Chloroquine injections and Diclofenac tablets.

b. Two 40-foot containers (MRSU 4584911 and MRSU 6913370) conveying large consignments of Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate unregistered pharmaceuticals.

c. A 20-foot container (MRKU 8830266) conveying 800 cartons of Codeine (TPL CSC) deliberately concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary ware.

d. A 40-foot container (MRSU 5147562) conveying cartons of Artesunate 60 injections.

e. A 20-foot container (PCIU 286888) conveying restricted security equipment without End User Certificates, including bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches.

 

8. Additional seizures include:

a. A 20-foot container (TCLU 3819607) conveying expired muffin cookie biscuits.

b. A 20-foot container (UGMU 8692902) containing 36,000 cans of expired Primo energy drinks.

c. A 20-foot container (SUDU 1696593) loaded with expired St. Kelvin tomato paste.

d. Another 20-foot container (TCLU 1923314) containing expired De Truth tomato paste.

e. A 40-foot container (TCNU 7257465) containing 1,700 cartons of Codeine cough syrup concealed with luxury food flasks.

 

9. Another 40-foot container (CAAU 8375050) was found to contain 1,575 cartons of CSMIX with codeine concealed with 156 cartons of electric kettles, alongside additional pharmaceutical seizures including

13 cartons of Bristol brand Co-codamol 500mg and 2 cartons of Zevita brand Co-codamol

500mg. Officers also intercepted 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa

(Colorado) weighing 347.57kg concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle with Chassis No. 5TDDK3DC7DS057669.

 

10. Collectively, these seizures amount to ₦6,381,237,988.00 (Six Billion, Three Hundred and Eighty-One Million, Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira) worth of prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods.

 

The importation of expired drugs and controlled substances poses a direct threat to public health, while the concealment of codeine-based products represents a calculated attempt to fuel substance abuse and undermine our healthcare system.

 

“Let me therefore state clearly that Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation. In accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, these consignments are liable to outright forfeiture, while penalties will be imposed, evaded revenues recovered and all persons connected to these shipments will face prosecution.

 

“To compliant traders and investors, let me reiterate that our enforcement is not against legitimate trade; it is against criminality. Those who comply with the law will continue to enjoy facilitation and predictability.

 

Earlier in his welcome address, the Controller, Apapa Area Command, he said the Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Data Analytical Arena was designed with a futuristic data-driven approach to border security

 

“It is designed to house critical, tactical and operational components of our Command, including:

 

• The State-of-the-art Analytics Centre of excellence

• The Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU).

• The Command’s Clinic, to ensure the health and well-being of our personnel.

• Other key strategic offices.

 

“This infrastructure is a direct reflection of the vision of our Comptroller-General to leverage modern technology and analytics to fight smuggling, secure our nation and facilitate legitimate trade.”