Benin, Nigeria Customs Record 37 seizures in landmark WCO geospatial intelligence operation

The World Customs Organization (WCO) has announced the successful conclusion of Operation GEOCONTROL, a pioneering joint enforcement exercise between the Customs administrations of Benin and Nigeria that resulted in the seizure of 37 consignments of illicit goods through the use of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT).

The eight-day operation, conducted along the Benin–Nigeria border corridor, marked the first time the WCO deployed geospatial intelligence as a core Customs enforcement capability in a live operational environment. The initiative was implemented under the WCO–Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Joint Project.

According to the WCO, the operation combined advanced geospatial analysis, risk profiling and field intelligence to strengthen coordinated border enforcement between the two neighbouring countries.

Customs officers from Benin and Nigeria, many of whom had completed the WCO-developed GEOINT Master Trainer Programme, worked jointly to identify smuggling routes, map high-risk areas and coordinate enforcement activities across official border crossings and vulnerable transit corridors.

The operation led to 37 seizures involving narcotics, pharmaceutical products, petroleum products and other prohibited consumer goods, highlighting the effectiveness of intelligence-led border security operations.

To support the exercise, officers employed a range of advanced technologies, including the WCO Geoportal, Geographic Information System (GIS) applications, drones and the WCO Customs Enforcement Network Communication Platform (CENcomm).

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These tools enabled near real-time intelligence sharing and provided both countries with a common operational picture of activities along the border.

The enhanced situational awareness allowed enforcement teams to carry out targeted interventions against a range of priority threats, including illicit narcotics, arms and ammunition, smuggled petroleum products, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, fake consumer goods and environmentally sensitive products protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The WCO said the operation demonstrated the significant value of integrating geospatial intelligence and emerging technologies into Customs operations while strengthening bilateral cooperation in addressing increasingly sophisticated cross-border crimes.

Commenting on the outcome, WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders described the exercise as a milestone in intelligence-led border management.

“Operation GEOCONTROL demonstrates how Customs administrations can strengthen border security through technological innovation, intelligence-led enforcement and enhanced cooperation,” Saunders said.

He noted that the Customs administrations of Benin and Nigeria had successfully showcased the practical benefits of integrating innovative technologies and WCO-developed tools into frontline operations.

According to him, the exercise also underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration and inter-agency cooperation in tackling complex security threats and dismantling illicit trade networks operating across international borders.

The WCO explained that Operation GEOCONTROL was specifically designed to transform newly acquired GEOINT knowledge into practical operational capabilities.

Beyond the immediate seizures, the initiative sought to enhance the ability of Customs administrations to identify enforcement hotspots, improve intelligence-led decision-making and build sustainable geospatial intelligence capacity for future border security operations.

The successful operation is expected to serve as a model for future Customs enforcement initiatives, demonstrating how advanced geospatial technologies can improve border surveillance, facilitate real-time intelligence sharing and strengthen regional cooperation in combating smuggling and other forms of transnational crime.