Customs destroys N1bn worth of cannabis

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has destroyed 10,000 kilograms of cannabis valued at over N1 billion in Lagos.

Olugboyega Peters, the Comptroller I of the Western Marine Command of the NCS, made the declaration on Friday while speaking with journalists in Badagry.

According to Mr Paters, the cannabis was recovered on 21st April 2020 at Agaja Beach in Lagos State.

“The seizure of this Cannabis Sativa was made on April 21,2020. It is classified in schedule 2, Section 2 under vegetable products of page 34 of the ECOWAS Commo External Tariff (CET), Harmonised System Code 0602 9000 of five percent duty rate and 7.5 Value Added Tax (VAT).

“The seizure was based on credible intelligence. The smugglers on sighting our officers abandoned their consignment and jumped into the water, a terrain they know so much,” he said.

Read also: Customs seizes 379 packs of Tramadol, other items worth N56m

He added that the drugs recovered were high grade, saying the seizure was the biggest single haul of cannabis in the history of the NCS.

“This is unprecedented because this is the best grade of Indian hemp. Experts say it is AAA grade. This is the first time we would have this kind of cannabis,” Peters said.

The briefing was held on the same day of the United Nations International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking observed annually on 26th June.

“The negative effect of hard drugs on our people cannot be emphasised. It impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance. It also affects the lungs,” the comptroller added.

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