By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Ogun Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said it has intercepted weeds, suspected to be cannabis sativa, with market value of over N98 million in the first quarter of 2023.

The Ogun Area 1 Controller of the NCS, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde, who disclosed this, while addressing journalists in Abeokuta, the state capital, while handing over the illicit drugs to the State Commander of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said the illicit drugs were packed in 1, 375 wraps of book, bread and coconut sizes.

Makinde, said the command also intercepted 740 bags of foreign parboiled Chinese rice,
each weighing 25kg from a warehouse in Sagamu axis of the State during a night raid carried out by the anti-smuggling operatives of the command on the 15th of March, 2023.

The Controller, who explained that a total number of 12, 610 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg and 25kg, representing an equivalent of 21 trailer loads being smuggled into Nigeria were intercepted by his command within the period under review, stressed that the 740 bags of Chinese rice were included.

“It is pertinent to state that from the above total bags of rice, we made a spectacular seizure of 740 bags of Chinese rice, each weighing 25kg, stockpiled in a warehouse in Sagamu axis of Ogun State on Wednesday, 15 March, 2023 at 22: 30hrs”.

While noting that importation of such goods, labelled and addressed in Chinese language was contrary to the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the NCS Controller further disclosed that the command’s operatives equally made a seizure of 1, 446 cartons of imported cigarettes inscribed with Chinese language all over its cartons.

“The cannabis sativa in our custody has been scheduled for handing over to the Commander of Narcotics, Ogun State Command of NDLEA, CN Ibiba Odili. This will further strengthen our collaboration in safeguarding our youths from the harmful substance which could endanger their lives and the environments”.

According to Makinde, other contrabands intercepted by his command in the efforts at suppressing smuggling included: 77, 250 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS); 73 bales of secondhand clothing; 1, 120 cartons of frozen poultry products; 900 pieces of foreign used tyres, as well as 14 sacks of foreign used shoes among others, whose Duty Payable Value (DPV) worth over N704 Million.

“In the course of our anti-smuggling operations, we arrested seven suspected smugglers and they have been granted administrative bail, pending the conclusion of investigation that will lead to their prosecution at the Federal High Court”.