Customs Hands Over 15,000kg Seized Illicit Substances to NDLEA
BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has delivered a blow to drug cartels operating within the nation’s coastal waters and land borders as it handed over hard substances suspected to be Cannabis Sativa and Tramadol, to the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday, 23 November 2023, at the Customs Warehouse in Karu, Abuja.
At a joint press briefing during the handover, Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, disclosed that the illicit substances were seized in operations conducted by the Western Marine Command, FOU Zone ‘A,’ and Zone ‘B’ formations. Notable contributors to this effort included the Ogun 1 Area Command and Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C.’
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The CGC stated that the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) solidified their commitment to combat drug trafficking by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on 4 April 2023.
CGC Adeniyi emphasized the significance of community support in the battle against drug trafficking, stating, “This is a battle for every citizen.”
Giving the breakdown of the seizures, he listed the seized items to include 13,567 parcels of Cannabis Sativa from Zone ‘A’, 1,511 parcels and 292 bags of Indian Hemp from Zone ‘B’, and 3,213 parcels and blocks, along with 935 sacks of Cannabis Sativa from Zone ‘C’.
According to the CGC, while Ogun I Command was responsible for the seizure of 2,223 wraps and 144 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, weighing a total of 3,312.7kg, a total of 2,205 parcels weighing 624kg was made by the Western Marine Command.
The Director of Narcotics, Samuel Gazama, representing the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its pivotal role in cleansing the country of illicit drugs.
He stressed the severe societal threat posed by Cannabis Sativa and affirmed NDLEA’s unwavering commitment to collaboration with the NCS in the relentless fight against drug trafficking.
“We will not relent until our battles on drug trafficking are achieved”, Gazama said.