The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, has intercepted 140 parcels of cannabis indica, smuggled into the country from Canada. It is valued at N256,250,000. The illicit drugs were hidden in two of four vehicles within a shipping container.
Comptroller Joy Edelduok, the Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, disclosed the seizure during a press briefing in Lagos. She confirmed that the contraband was discovered on September 11, 2024, during a joint inspection by Customs officers and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after receiving credible intelligence.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the smuggling operation, including one individual whose name appeared on the import documents. Edelduok explained that the first suspect apprehended led to the arrest of two more.
The parcels, weighing a total of 52.25kg, were handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation. Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Finitia Bassey, received the drugs and commended the strong collaboration between Customs and the NDLEA, assuring that the suspects would face prosecution.
Edelduok emphasized that the KLTC Command will continue to enforce strict anti-smuggling measures. “We are determined to make this terminal a no-go area for smugglers,” she stated, warning those involved in illicit trade.
The seizure, she noted, is part of the NCS’s mission to protect Nigeria’s borders from harmful substances. “By intercepting these dangerous drugs, we are preventing untold harm to our communities, especially our youth,” Edelduok remarked.
She vowed to intensify efforts to rid the country of illegal imports, stressing that legitimate trade will continue to be facilitated while criminal activities will be met with the full force of the law.
