The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, has successfully intercepted a massive haul of cannabis sativa valued at N398 million.
The illicit cargo, weighing 1,958 kilograms and packed into 53 sacks, was seized at Ilase Sea Beach, approximately 200 nautical miles from the Lagos Anchorage.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Lomba Benjamin, confirmed the seizure in a statement released on Friday.
According to the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Paul Bamisaiye, the contraband was discovered during an operation on Thursday at around 11 pm.
“Our officers, who have been intensifying their efforts to curb smuggling, encountered the smugglers at Ilase Sea Beach. Upon sighting our operatives, the suspects attempted to escape, abandoning their boat and jumping into the sea,” Bamisaiye revealed. “The boat was secured and brought to our office, where we found 3,793 loaves of cannabis sativa inside.”
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Bamisaiye described the seizure as the largest single operational interception of cannabis under his leadership.
He also noted that just two months ago, the command confiscated 15 sacks of cannabis sativa, totalling 538kg and valued at N107 million.
Expressing gratitude for the unwavering support of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and his management team, Bamisaiye credited the seizure to enhanced operational resources and logistics provided to the command.
He further assured that the intercepted drugs would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in line with established protocols.
The Customs chief reaffirmed the command’s commitment to working closely with other security agencies to protect Nigeria’s borders and combat smuggling operations effectively.