By Halimah Olamide
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Special Area Command, Tincan Island Port, has arrested 21 suspected drug traffickers and intercepted 28,622.389kg of illicit drugs.
The agency’s Commander of Narcotics, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, made this known in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.
Abubakar said that the arrests and interceptions were from January 2024 to June 2024.
He said that 14 of the arrested suspects had been put on trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
“Seizure of approximately 28,622.389 kilogrammes of various illicit drugs, including cannabis indica or Canadian loud weighing 2,232.999 kilogrammes were made,” he said.
The commander said that the seizures showed an increase of 261.9% over seizures recorded by the command in the last six months of 2023.
“Included also is a seizure of Heroin weighing 79.39 kilogrammes, and 26,310 kilogrammes of Barcadin cough syrups with codeine (i.e. 175,400 bottles of 100ml each).
“Included also is monetary exhibit of six million naira being a bribe offered by a suspect to thwart seizure of 7.5 kilogramme of Canadian loud.
He added that the command impounded vehicles and containers used to conceal the drugs or carry out smuggling activities.
The commander re-affirmed the command’s commitment to the global fight against drug trafficking, particularly in the maritime domain.
He said that since the beginning of 2024, the command had undertaken a series of robust operations that had significantly disrupted the activities of drug trafficking syndicates on the coastlines and maritime corridors under its area of responsibility.
Abubakar said that the most notable seizure was a combined seizure of heroin weighing 56.39k made from two containers.
He described it as the highest single seizure of heroin ever recorded in the maritime domain in Nigeria.
Abubakar said that both containers came from Durban, South Africa, and were declared as personal effects.
“We apprehended three suspects in connection with the seizure. All the suspects are on trial before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
He said that the command also made a single seizure of 1,072kg of cannabis indica from a container shipped from Montreal, Canada, and falsely declared as containing three units of used vehicles.
He said: “The Tincan NDLEA Special Area Command remains resolute in its mission to deny criminal elements the ability to exploit our maritime domain for their nefarious activities.
“We will continue to work closely with our national and international partners to strengthen capabilities, share intelligence, and collectively dismantle the intricate networks of drug trafficking organisations.
“The command will continue to appreciate and commend the tireless efforts of its men and women who have demonstrated unwavering dedication and professionalism in executing the command’s mandate.
“These achievements are a testament to the steadfast commitment of our personnel in safeguarding our maritime borders and protecting our communities from the devastating impact of illicit drugs.”
According to him, as the world commemorates the United Nations Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the command reaffirmed its determination to continue playing a pivotal role in the global fight against drug trade, upholding the rule of law and preserving security and well-being.