Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the seizure of three containers filled with 684 packets of Cannabis Indica, with an estimated street value of N682,050,000. The drugs, weighing a total of 341.025kg, were intercepted during joint inspections at the port.
Comptroller Dera Nnadi, head of the Tin Can Island Command, revealed the details during a media briefing on Wednesday. He confirmed that the seized items had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in accordance with the interagency cooperation and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations.
The seizure occurred after a series of joint 100% physical examinations conducted on the containers in early August 2024. The first container, numbered MSMU 518030/2, was inspected on August 2, revealing 77 packets of Cannabis Indica weighing 38.5kg.
The second container, MSMU 602957/0, inspected on August 8, held 532 packets of the drug, totaling 265.025kg.
The final container, FSCU 927461/3, also inspected on August 8, contained 75 packets weighing 37.5kg.
According to Nnadi, some of the shipments had suspicious or incomplete documentation, with one container being falsely declared as containing used vehicles. Further investigations are ongoing, and the NDLEA is expected to provide updates on any arrests or prosecutions connected to the case.
Speaking on the matter, Compt. Nnadi reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to combatting the illegal importation of dangerous substances.
“The Command and indeed the Service will deploy all necessary resources and strategies in collaboration with other security and regulatory agencies to check the menace of illegal importation of illicit and dangerous substances,” he said.
Nnadi expressed gratitude to the media and the general public for their continued support in the fight to protect Nigerian society from harmful substances.