The Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), Western Marine Command, has intercepted 51 sacks containing 4,070 parcels of hard drugs in January.
The Customs Area Controller, Mr Odaudu Salefu, Area Controller, confirmed this in a statement by Superintendent Magaji Mailafiya, the Public Relations Officer of the command, on Tuesday in Lagos.
Salefu added that the command intercepted a boat with 48 sacks containing 4,070 parcels of India hemp from the Jan.1 to Jan. 29, 2024.
He explained that the seizures were carried out in line with the sustained efforts to purge the Western Waterways of the offensive activities of smugglers.
“A joint patrol team had on Jan. 19, at exactly 12.06 p.m. received credible intelligence of the movement of a wooden boat on the Moba Seashore axis of the Command and pursued the boat.
“When the suspects observed that our men were after them, they abandoned their boat fully loaded with goods and when we conducted search, we uncovered 4,070 parcels of India hemp weighing 1,785kg in 48 sacks.
“The wooden boat powered by two 40 horsepower engines was towed back to the command’s headquarters at Ibafon Apapa,” he said.
He said the Western Marine Command made five significant seizures of India hemp, totaling 14,920 parcels of the harmful drugs in 2023.
Salefu added that the five seizures were part of thr 48 incidents of seizures recorded by the command in 2023.
He noted that the seizures had a Duty Paid Value of N1.5 billion.
“Western marine command is poised for more actions to improve our performances in 2024,” he said.
Salefu assured officers of his command of the needed support to motivate them to perform their anti-smuggling duties within the 2024 year.
