The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has handed over 8,240 loaves of Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) and 23,000 capsules of 100mg of Tramadol to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Command’s Area Comptroller, Odaudu Salefu, revealed this at a news conference in Lagos on Thursday.
According to Salefu, the cannabis sativa, contained in 103 sacks, was intercepted along the country’s coastal waters.
He said: “On August 3 at about 04.00 hours, the command upon a follow-up on one of its numerous lead, received credible intelligence.
“The intelligence information is of an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of cannabis sativa into the country through our western waterways from a neighbouring country.
“The command immediately assembled a joint patrol team of marine patrol officers and set out towards the Ibeju Lekki Deep Sea costal water.
“They intercepted and arrested one wooden boat with two Yamaha outboard Engines (40hp each) loaded with 103 sacks of substances immediately suspected to be cannabis sativa (marijuana).
“The smugglers, upon sighting our patrol team, dived into the water and abandoned their boat with all the items in it which was immediately brought to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa.
“The boat was found to contain 8,240 parcels (loaves) of cannabis sativa with a total weight of 3,811 kg.”
The Customs boss put the Duty Paid Value of the cannabis stands at N692.16 million, while the duty paid value of conveyance and two Yamaha outboard engines of 40 horse power each stands at N7.35 million.
Salefu added: “These give a combined duty paid value of N699.51 million for the entire seizure.
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“The inordinate quest by citizens to get rich by any means necessary fuels the menace of smuggling.
“Citizens must understand that smuggling is injurious to our economy and smuggling of hard drugs has even more devastating effect on our health and the economy.
“Western marine command of NCS, while facilitating trade, continues to stand as the frontier along our waterways to guard the nation under very strenuous and challenging circumstances against illegal trade that brings injuries to our economy and health.”
Salefu appreciated the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team for the needed motivation and impetus to go after smugglers and performing their statutory responsibilities.
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