Customs Hand Over Seized Pesticides, Cannabis, Ammunition To Regulators

The Kebbi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over seized harmful pesticides, cannabis and live ammunition to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

At the ceremony held yesterday at the Customs Command headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, the area comptroller, Mahmoud Matawalle, said the exercise was conducted in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration and in furtherance of

collective responsibility to protect public health, safeguard national security and prevent the illicit movement of harmful, prohibited and controlled substances, as well as arms and ammunition.

Matawalle said the exercise was carried out on the directive and approval of the comptroller-general of NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

Matawalle said the seized items included 500 cartons of Rezim herbicide, 708 cartons of Gramosun, 1,291 cartons of Sun-Paraquat, 1,990 cartons of Gbelezo and 1,620 cartons of Gramostrong, with a duty-paid value of N223,054,385.66.

In addition, the command handed over 330 rolls of suspected cannabis valued at N2,520,000 and 37 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition.

He warned importers, distributors, and users of such items to comply with all relevant regulatory requirements and obtain the necessary approvals before importing, distributing, or using them.

He said the Kebbi Area Command remained committed to the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service and strict enforcement against the smuggling and movement of illicit, hazardous, unapproved, prohibited and controlled substances, as well as arms and ammunition.

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