IKEJA, LAGOS
In a massive show of inter-agency muscle, the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ on Thursday handed over illicit drugs and hazardous chemicals worth nearly N4 billion to the NDLEA and NESREA at its headquarters on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja.
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, who led the handover, told a hall packed with security chiefs, regulators, and journalists that the seizures were the product of weeks of “sustained anti-smuggling operations” along border corridors, highways, and other hotspots within the Zone’s Area of Responsibility.
The star exhibit was cannabis. Lots of it.
Officers intercepted 5,669 parcels and 19 sacks of synthetic strain of cannabis sativa weighing 3,116.9kg. Also recovered were 3.45kg of ground “Skunk”, 1kg of granulated “Skunk”, 11 smaller packs of “Skunk” weighing 0.35kg, 49 wraps of “Skunk” weighing 26.1kg, and 24 packets of Backwoods Russian Cream Cigars.
In what officials described as a particularly worrying find, one wrap of Crystal Methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg was also recovered.
The pharmaceutical haul was just as alarming. Customs officers seized 1,754 packs and 6,948 sachets of Tramadol tablets in 225mg and 100mg strengths, 1,200 tablets of Hypnox 1mg, and 97 bottles of Codeine Syrup.
In total, the seized narcotics have an estimated street value of *N3,951,085,000*. Three suspects arrested in connection with the seizures were also handed over to NDLEA alongside the drugs.
But the bust didn’t end with narcotics.
Comptroller Aliyu announced that vigilant operatives also intercepted 4 cylinders of high-grade Mercury, each weighing 34.5kg. The chemical, he explained, is commonly used in illegal small-scale gold mining and poses serious environmental and health risks. It is also regulated under the Minamata Convention.
That haul is now headed to NESREA for proper handling and disposal.
“Today’s event is a practical demonstration of the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to national security, public health, environmental safety and the economic well-being of Nigerians,” Aliyu said. “It also reflects the importance of strategic partnership in the fight against smuggling and other forms of transborder crime.”
He warned that the illicit movement of cannabis and other controlled substances “poses a serious threat to public health, national security and the future of our young people,” noting that such substances fuel addiction, criminality, and violence.
According to Aliyu, the formal transfer to NDLEA will allow the agency to conduct forensic analysis, investigation, and prosecution, while ensuring the drugs are stored and destroyed in a secure, regulated manner.
The Comptroller stressed that no single agency can win this fight alone. He called for deeper collaboration through intelligence sharing, joint operations, and capacity building.
“We will continue to deploy intelligence-driven strategies, enhanced surveillance, effective patrols and robust enforcement operations to disrupt the activities of smugglers and criminal networks,” he said. “We shall continue to facilitate legitimate trade while firmly preventing the movement of prohibited, harmful and improperly regulated goods.”
He commended NDLEA and NESREA for their cooperation and professionalism, and thanked other sister agencies for their support.
The event ended with a firm pledge: the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ will not relent in protecting Nigeria’s borders and safeguarding citizens from harmful goods.
“Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Long live the Nigeria Customs Service,” Aliyu concluded.
Representatives of NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command and NESREA received the exhibits on behalf of their agencies.
