Customs Disrupts Smuggling Route with Cannabis Seizure Worth ₦152m

Customs Disrupts Smuggling Route with Cannabis Seizure Worth ₦152m

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, has disrupted a major smuggling route with the interception of 1,452 loaves of Cannabis Sativa valued at ₦152 million.

Speaking during the official handover of the seized drugs to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday, 16 April 2025, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said the operation was intelligence-led and executed in the early hours of Tuesday, 15 April 2025.

According to Bamisaiye, operatives from the Command’s patrol team intercepted the smugglers off the Mopol Beach coastline around 2:30 a.m. as they attempted to transfer sacks of cannabis from a wooden boat fitted with a 40-horsepower Yamaha engine.

“On sighting our officers, the smugglers abandoned their boat and fled. Our operatives secured the items and transported them to the Command headquarters,” he said.

The seized consignment, weighing approximately 730kg, underscores the Command’s renewed drive under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, to clamp down on smuggling, particularly of illicit substances that endanger public health and national security.

Providing an overview of the Command’s activities in the first quarter of 2025, Bamisaiye disclosed nine seizures with a combined duty-paid value exceeding ₦702 million. These include 3,856 loaves of Cannabis Sativa, 704 bags of smuggled rice, and 392 bottles of codeine syrup.

He further revealed that five suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures and have been dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

Receiving the contraband, Acting Marine Commander of the NDLEA, Morrison Udo, commended the Customs Service for its continued vigilance and pledged enhanced collaboration in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking nationwide.