The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials allegedly smuggled from Ghana, alongside 1,306 sacks of expired and decomposing noodles, illicit drugs and other prohibited goods with a combined Duty Paid Value of N365.16 million.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Seme Border in Badagry, Lagos State.

The seizure came less than a week after the Tin Can Island Command intercepted 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and 535 assorted rifle parts.

Kaila said the explosive materials were being illegally conveyed through the Seme border corridor and could potentially be used to facilitate terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

He said the materials, along with one suspect, had been handed over to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force for safe custody and further investigation.

“Our officers intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials being illegally conveyed through the border corridor. Explosives of this nature have devastating consequences when they fall into the hands of criminal elements,” Kaila said.

The Customs boss also disclosed the interception of 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, each weighing 50 kilogrammes.

According to him, the consignment was intercepted following credible intelligence and sustained surveillance after it was deceptively declared as food items.

He said many of the noodles had deteriorated and were visibly decomposing, while intelligence indicated that the products were allegedly intended to be repackaged and relabelled for sale to unsuspecting Nigerian consumers.

Kaila described the seizure as a public health intervention, warning that the products could have exposed consumers to food poisoning, gastrointestinal diseases and other health complications.

“By intercepting these products, the Nigeria Customs Service has once again demonstrated that border security is also a form of public health protection,” he said.

The Command also seized 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, which were allegedly smuggled into Nigeria through illegal routes.

Kaila said the illegal importation deprived the government of legitimate revenue, undermined local rice production and worked against the Federal Government’s agricultural policies.

In another enforcement operation, Customs officers intercepted 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg, 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.

The Customs boss said the illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further investigation and necessary action.

Other seized items included a used speedboat, a used water bike, a 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and a 2010 Nissan Versa.

Kaila warned smugglers and other economic saboteurs that the Command had intensified intelligence-driven operations and would continue working with sister security agencies to frustrate criminal activities along the border corridor.

“To those engaged in smuggling activities, our message remains unequivocal: Seme is no longer a safe corridor for economic sabotage,” he said.

On revenue, Kaila disclosed that the Command generated N19.84 billion between January and July 2026, surpassing the N15.94 billion collected during the entire 2025 fiscal year by N3.899 billion.

He said the figure represented a 24.45 per cent increase over the Command’s full-year 2025 revenue.

The improved performance, he explained, was driven by enhanced compliance, stronger stakeholder engagement, improved operational efficiency and intensified enforcement against smuggling.

“Effective enforcement and efficient trade facilitation are complementary responsibilities,” Kaila said, stressing that the Command would continue to facilitate legitimate trade while preventing smugglers from undermining the economy.

He added that the Seme Area Command remained committed to supporting the Federal Government’s economic reforms, facilitating compliant trade and promoting regional commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area.