LAGOS- Twenty -six jumbo bags of substance suspected to be cannabis have been intercepted in Lagos by the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The seized Cannabis was suspected to have been smuggled into the country from Ghana.
The contraband which is valued at N100,000,000 with average weight of 3750 kilogrammes was intercepted through a tip off, while the officers of the Western Marine Command were on patrol at about 2:00am at Tanfi Island in Badagry.
The Controller of the amphibian command, Comptroller Umar Yusuf, while briefing the press on the seizure said, “I am pleased to inform you that at about 2:00 am, Thursday 5th May, 2016, officers of the command in the Badagry -Benin axis at the Tanfi Island ran into twenty six jumbo bags of cannabis packed at the harbour meant to be smuggled into Nigeria.
He however added that no suspect was arrested as the officers and Men of the service waited for several hours for the owners to surface but never did.
He said his men responded by immediately seeking reinforcement and assistance in conveying the bags of cannabis to the command base at Ibafon, Apapa in patrol boats.
Displaying the cannabis, the Controller added that the motorcycle with which the smugglers were conveying the contrabands from the boat to the shores was also confiscated along with the seized items.
Speaking further, Comptroller Umar said there had been an improvement in the seizure profile of the command since he came in as the controller of the command.
He said, ” I am proud to inform you that the Western Marine Command has done tremendously well in improving the seizure profile of the command since I resumed office as the Area Controller here in December, 2014.
“For you to understand the trend, I will like to take you back to the year 2013 when a total number of twelve seizures valued at N11, 546,934.50 with duty paid value of N13, 037, 669.80 was made, while in 2014, the total number of seizures made were twenty two with duty paid value of N13, 107, 094.060.”
Highlighting the seizure for the year 2016, he said the command had so far made several seizures valued at N260, 478, 050.00 with duty paid value of N265,186,450.00.
Comptroller Umar Yusuf
