Salefu Spoils New Year Business For Narcotic Traffickers

BY FUNMI ALUKO

In its continued efforts to purge its territorial waterways of the offensive activities of smuggling, the Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service, has intercepted and seized 51 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, said to contain 4,070 parcels of the illicit substance.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Odaudu Salefu explained that the offensive substance and other items seized for violations of the extant laws was in the month of January 2024.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, SC Magaji Mailafiya informed that the seizure was recorded on January 19, 2024, acting on credible intelligence.

“On Friday, 19th January 2024, at exactly 1206hrs, a Joint Patrol Team of the Command received credible Intelligence of the movement of a wooden Boat around the Moba Seashore axis of the Command suspected of transporting offending goods.

“After a hot pursuit of the identified boat by our officers, the smugglers dived into the creek, abandoning the boat fully loaded with the goods”, the statement reads.

“The wooden boat powered by two (2) 40 horsepower (HP) engines was towed back to the Command HQ at Ibafon Apapa. After careful examination, it was found to contain 4,070 parcels of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1785kg.”

The flagship marine command under the watch of Comptroller Salefu is on record for regularly frustrating unscrupulous elements engaged in the trafficking of the substances and related offensive items via the waterways.

It will be recalled that in 2023, the command made 5 Cannabis Sativa significant seizures, totaling 14,920 parcels. Further recall that the 5 seizures were part of the 48 seizures recorded by the command in 2023, fetching a combined Duty Paid Value of N1, 470,397,255.00 for the year ended, 2023.

Magaji explained that Salefu has promised officers of the command the needed impetus and motivation to up their anti-smuggling performances in the current year, 2024.

“Western Marine Command is poised more than ever to improve this performance in 2024 for a better and prosperous year”, the statement added.