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The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested three suspected smugglers and intercepted narcotic drugs and other controlled substances with a combined street value of N3.951 billion in the South-West.
The Comptroller of the Unit, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos during a press briefing to formally hand over the seized illicit drugs and pharmaceutical products to relevant government agencies for further investigation and necessary action.
Aliyu said the seizures were recorded during sustained anti-smuggling operations carried out by officers and men of the unit along border corridors, highways and other strategic locations within its area of responsibility.
He said the enforcement operations were targeted at disrupting the activities of drug trafficking syndicates and other trans-border criminal networks.
According to him, the operation led to the interception of 5,669 parcels and 19 sacks of synthetic strain of Cannabis sativa weighing 3,116.9 kilogrammes, representing the largest component of the narcotic substances seized by the unit.
“Other cannabis products recovered included three-and-a-half packs of ground Cannabis (Skunk) weighing 3.45kg, two packs of granulated Cannabis (Skunk) weighing 1kg and 11 small packs of granulated Cannabis weighing 0.35kg,” he said.
He also disclosed the seizure of 24 packets of Backwoods Russian Cream Cigars weighing 0.5 gramme, 49 wraps of Cannabis (Skunk) weighing 26.1kg and one wrap of Crystal Methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg.
He said the narcotic substances were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation, forensic examination and other necessary actions in accordance with its statutory mandate.
“Also handed over were pharmaceutical products comprising 1,754 packs and 6,948 sachets of Tramadol tablets in 225mg and 100mg strengths, 1,200 Hypnox tablets of 1mg and 97 bottles of Codeine syrup,” he stated.
Aliyu warned that the illicit movement of Cannabis sativa, Crystal Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Codeine and other controlled substances posed serious threats to public health, national security and the future of Nigerian youths, stressing that such substances could fuel addiction, criminality, violence and other social problems.
He said Customs would continue to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s supply chain and support the NDLEA in disrupting the movement of narcotics and other illicit goods across the country’s borders.
He added that Customs would provide relevant information and support further investigations whenever necessary.
“The formal transfer of the narcotics to the NDLEA would allow the agency to conduct appropriate forensic, investigative and prosecutorial processes in line with the law. It would also ensure that the seized substances were handled, stored and eventually disposed of in a secure and professionally regulated manner.
“In a related development, Customs officers also intercepted four cylinders of high-grade mercury, each weighing 34.5kg, allegedly intended for use in small-scale illegal gold mining. Aliyu said the chemical had significant environmental hazards and was subject to international controls under the Minamata Convention,” he added.
He disclosed that the mercury would be handed over to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), as the agency with the appropriate environmental regulatory competence, for further action.
However, he put the street value of the seized narcotics at N3,951,085,000, while the three suspects arrested in connection with the seizures would also be handed over to the relevant authorities alongside the narcotic substances for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Aliyu stressed that the development demonstrated the importance of strategic inter-agency collaboration in confronting the increasingly complex nature of smuggling and trans-border criminality.
He called for sustained information sharing, joint operations, coordinated intelligence, capacity building and prompt transfer of seized items to agencies with the appropriate statutory mandates.
He commended the leadership and personnel of the NDLEA, NESREA and other sister security and regulatory agencies for their cooperation and professionalism.
Aliyu assured that the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, would not relent in its anti-smuggling responsibilities, promising continued deployment of intelligence-driven strategies, enhanced surveillance, effective patrols and robust enforcement operations to disrupt criminal networks while facilitating legitimate trade and protecting Nigeria’s borders.
