The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) say they will continue to go after drug cartels until they run out of business.

The two organisations made the commitment on Thursday when the NCS handed over more than 1,000kg of illicit drugs to the NDLEA, intercepted at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos.

According to the NCS and NDLEA, those who continue to indulge in illicit drug peddling will continue to lose their investments in the criminal trade.

The seizure was made possible through tracking of the containers based on credible intelligence from international partners.

In his remarks, NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, said that the seizure was a testament of the hard work and diligence of security agencies tasked with securing the territory of the country.

Mr Marwa, represented by the agency’s director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said they would continue to cooperate with the NCS and other security agencies to prevent the flow of illicit drugs and substances into the country.

“This level of cooperation between NDLEA and Customs, as well as other security agencies and port stakeholders, is a strong signal to drug cartels that our ports and indeed Nigeria, will not be a haven for their criminal business.

“The synergy between Customs and NDLEA would further ensure the closing of other loopholes that criminal elements may have capitalised on in the past to smuggle illicit items into our country,” he added.

Mr Marwa expressed appreciation to the leadership, men and officers of the Customs for their collaboration not only at Tincan Port but across all areas of responsibility.

He also commended officials at the port, including the agency’s K-9 unit involved in the processes leading to the seizures.

“We received intelligence weeks ago from our international partners on the containers from which these drugs were recovered as they departed the ports of loading.

“The command and other units had diligently tracked the movement of the containers up to the time of their landing in our port.

“In the spirit of inter-agency collaboration, NDLEA never hesitated to share intelligence with the Tincan Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service and also requested that the command ensure the containers were pinned down for 100 per cent examination.”

On his part, the Comptroller General, NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, said that the collaboration with NDLEA had proven effective in pooling resources and intelligence to safeguard the nation’s borders.

“In recognition of the threats and the collaborative nature of criminal activities, the NCS has steadfastly prioritised strategic partnerships with stakeholders over the past seven months.

“This deliberate focus aims to harness the specialized expertise of our partners in a manner that enhances our capability to fulfil our core mandates.

“Just as criminals find strength in collaboration, government agencies must equally appreciate the advantages of working collectively to fulfil their statutory responsibilities.

“It is within this context that the ongoing collaborative efforts between the NCS and the NDLEA have consistently yielded positive results.”

He added that the synergy exemplified the effectiveness of pooling resources and intelligence to safeguard the nation’s borders and protect citizens from the threats posed by illicit drugs and substances to the wellbeing and security of the country.

The items handed over to the NDLEA included 65 packets of Colorado, a strain of marijuana weighing 32.5kg seized in a container from Canada.

Also seized were 17 parcels of cocaine weighing 16.690kg; 151 parcels of Colorado weighing 107 kg, and some precursor chemicals imported from Durban, South Africa.

Others are 226 packets of Colorado weighing 128 kg; 40 packets of cocaine weighing 39.7kg, and 1,026 packets of Colorado, also imported from Durban, South Africa. 

 (NAN)