Customs Intercepts Illicit Drugs Worth N279.5m In Ogun

The Ogun Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Idiroko, has handed over 3,365 parcels, 75 sacks of cannabis sativa, alongside 88 cartons of codeine cough syrup intercepted by its operatives worth over N279.5 million to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Illicit drugs was part of seizures made by its operatives within the past two weeks after the stakeholders’ meeting and collaboration where the Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu declared the command’s resolve to eradicate illegal trading in dangerous drugs and other contraband within its operational areas.

Taking newsmen round the seizures, CAC Shuaibu disclosed that other intercepted contrabands, which Duty Payable Value (DPV) amounted to over N279. 5 million included 2,145 bags, an equivalent of four trailer trucks of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg being illegally imported into Nigeria.

Other prohibited items among the seizure are 612 bales of second-hand clothing; 843 units of pneumatic used tires, as well as 6,625 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petroleum being smuggled out of the country.

Shuaibu further disclosed that the command was able to generate N9.694 million as revenue realised from baggage assessment, as well as auction sales of the earlier intercepted PMS “because of the highly inflammable nature of the item.”

The Ogun 1 Controller, Shuaibu, handed over the intercepted illicit drugs to the head of the NDLEA, Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Alexander Nyigide, who led a team of 6-man Narcotics agents to represent Commander Tijani Rabe “for proper disposal and further investigation.”

Speaking during the handing over of the items to NDLEA officials in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation, CAC Shuaibu said the items being handed over reflected the ongoing efforts of the command at curbing “the distribution of illegal narcotics within the country, which posed significant threats to the health and safety of our citizens.”