Customs hands over seized N4.2b illicit drugs to NDLEA

The Nigeria Customs Service on Thursday handed over large kilograms of cocaine and other assorted drugs worth N4.2 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, handed the items to NDLEA at the Ports and Cargo Terminal of Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

He said the combined effort, especially with the NDLEA led to the massive seizure.

The items handed over to NDLEA include 65 packets of Colorado, a strain of cannabis weighing 32.5kg seized from a 40ft Container and imported from Canada, 17 parcels of cocaine weighing 16.690kg, 151 parcels of Colorado weighing 107kg and some precursor chemicals among others seized from 1x40ft container imported from Durban, South Africa.

Others are 40 packets of cocaine weighing 39.7kg, 1026 packets of Colorado weighing 688.2kg seized from a 40ft container imported from Durban, South Africa, and 226 packets of Colorado weighing 128kg seized from a 40ft container imported from Durban, South Africa.

In his remark, the Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), commended the synergy between the two law enforcement agencies.

READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests Qatar-based businessman, others with illicit drugs

He said the collaboration was a strong warning to drug cartels that they would continue to lose their investments in the criminal trade.

Marwa, who was represented at the ceremony by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the handing over of the illicit drugs by Customs, was a testament to the hard work and diligence of security agencies tasked with securing the country’s territory.

He said: “That we are here today doing this is a testament to the cooperation we received from the Nigeria Customs Service. This level of cooperation between NDLEA and Customs, as well as other security agencies and port stakeholders, is a strong signal to drug cartels that our ports and indeed Nigeria will not be a haven for their criminal business.

“The synergy between Customs and NDLEA would further ensure the closing of other loopholes that criminal elements may have capitalised on in the past years to smuggle illicit items into our country.”

By: Babajide Okeowo

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