Customs Seizes ₦3bn Worth of Cannabis Sativa from Canada

Customs Seizes ₦3bn Worth of Cannabis Sativa from Canada

 

The Tincan Island Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a container filled with Cannabis Sativa, imported from Canada.

According to Comptroller Gen of Customs, Wale Adeniyi, the illicit drug is estimated to be worth over ₦3 billion. Alongside the cannabis, customs officials also discovered several cartons of cough syrup in the same shipment.

This seizure comes shortly after the Customs Service reported another successful operation, intercepting smuggled Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at ₦106 million over a span of seven days.

Comptroller Kehinde Ejibunu, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, highlighted that their recent efforts led to the confiscation of 26,950 liters of petroleum products worth about ₦19 million. These products were being illicitly transported out of the country into neighboring Benin Republic.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abeokuta, Ejibunu emphasized that such smuggling activities contribute to artificial scarcity within Nigeria, subsequently inflating local fuel prices.

He detailed that the seized petroleum products included 978 kegs of 25 liters, totaling the aforementioned 26,950 liters, all apprehended within Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service, encompassing Lagos and Ogun states.

“The Operation Whirlwind team, operational for just two weeks, intercepted these 26,950 liters of premium motor spirit, valued at ₦19 million,” Ejibunu stated.

He underscored the economic impact of smuggling on Nigeria, calling for coordinated efforts among relevant agencies to combat these illicit activities effectively.

Further operational details revealed specific interceptions, such as 121 kegs of PMS totaling 3,025 liters seized on May 31, 2024, along the Badagry/Seme road in Lagos State. Additionally, on June 7, 2024, 77 drums of PMS (616 kegs, equivalent to 15,400 liters) were captured at Seayab Petroleum along the Imeko/Obada road in Ogun State using a truck with registration number 95D4244D. Another 100 kegs (2,500 liters) were impounded on June 8 along Owode/Atan Road in Ogun State, and 141 kegs (6,025 liters) at Julankoly Oil and Gas along the Owode/Ilaro Road.

Ejibunu confirmed that the implicated petroleum stations have been sealed, and legal proceedings will follow against their owners. He also announced that the confiscated products, due to their inflammable nature, would be condemned and subsequently auctioned off.

The Customs official concluded by issuing a stern warning to individuals involved in economic sabotage, urging them to desist or face the full force of the law.