In separate intelligence-led operations conducted in Lagos, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command seized 1.8 metric tonnes of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp), prescription items with an expiration date of more than ₦12.7 billion, and a substantial shipment of cannabis seeds.
In a joint statement, the Command and its sister security agencies, such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other regulatory authorities, announced that they had prevented the illicit items from reaching the Nigerian market.
The statement was released by Isah Sulaiman, the Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) and the Command’s Public Relations Officer.
The seizures were made possible, according to the announcement, by utilising credible intelligence and better risk profiling tools.
He asserts that the operations were meticulously orchestrated through the exchange of intelligence and cooperation with the appropriate authorities.
A 40-foot container bearing the number CAAU7569127 was apprehended by officers of the Command during one of the significant seizures. The strain of cannabis known as “Canadian Loud” was discovered to be abundant in the container.
The prohibited substance was found in 3,639 sachets within the container, according to the Command. With 500 grams in each sachet, the overall weight was calculated to be around 1,819 kg, or around 1.81 metric tonnes.
The results of the first field testing proved that it was really Cannabis Sativa. The black Toyota Sienna, a Nissan car, and the sacks and drums within it were hiding places for the narcotics.
The Command also seized two 40-foot containers with pharmaceuticals that had passed their expiration date in a separate operation. The products supposedly had a hidden purpose: to be resold in the Nigerian market under a different name.
According to the command, the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the medications that have expired is 12,784,479,341.72. Economic sabotage and a grave danger to public health were the words used to describe the attempted importation.