TheCable

The western marine command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) says its operatives intercepted 48 sacks containing 4,070 parcels of Indian hemp in January.

In a statement on Tuesday, Odaudu Salefu, comptroller of the WMC, said the hard drugs were seized from a boat sailing through the waterways on January 19. 

“A joint patrol team had on Jan. 19, at exactly 12.06 p.m. received credible intelligence of the movement of a wooden boat on the Moba seashore axis of the command and pursued the boat,” the statement reads.

“When the suspects observed that our men were after them, they abandoned their boat fully loaded with goods and when we searched, we uncovered 4,070 parcels of India hemp weighing 1,785kg in 48 sacks.

“The wooden boat powered by two 40 horsepower engines was towed back to the command’s headquarters at Ibafon Apapa.”

Salefu said the command has so far taken possession of five significant hauls of Indian hemp, totalling 14,920 parcels of the illegal drugs.

He said the five seized consignments were part of the 48 incidents of confiscation recorded by the command in 2023, adding that the illicit drugs had a duty-paid value worth N1.5 billion.