Western Marine Command intercepts contraband drugs, arrests two suspects

The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 2,433 kilogrammes of Cannabis sativa and 195 bottles of 300ml Codeine syrup on inland waterways in the South-West region.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Paul Bamisaiye, disclosed this yesterday in Lagos during the handover of the illicit items to the Marine Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), respectively.

Two suspects were arrested in connection with the contraband. Bamisaiye emphasised the command’s resolve to secure the nation’s waterways and combat illicit trade. He said, “You will recall that just last week, on February 21, the command informed the public about the seizure of 53 sacks of Cannabis sativa. In another operation on Monday within the Badagry axis, two suspects were intercepted with 29 loaves of Cannabis sativa concealed in a sack of re-bagged rice.

“Today, we formally handed over 4,973 loaves of Cannabis sativa, two suspects, and 195 bottles of 300ml Codeine to NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.” He attributed the success to strong inter-agency collaboration, stating that no single agency can tackle drug trafficking and abuse alone.

The Marine Commander of the NDLEA, Emmanuel Udoh, assured that the agency would ensure proper investigation and swift prosecution of the suspects to disrupt the trade and movement of illicit drugs.