The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Tincan Special Area Command, says it has seized 799.95kg of cannabis indica worth N2.66 billion between January and August.

The area commander of Tincan, Mohammed Abubakar, in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, said apart from the cannabis indica, imported from Canada and the U.S., the command also seized 24kg of cocaine from a bulk cargo vessel, Cooper Island, within the period under review.

He noted that the unfortunate tendency of importers and abetting agents to effect false declaration and concealment led to the numerous seizures of illicit drugs shipped into the country.

Mr Abubakar also reacted to the allegation that NDLEA extorts money from clearing agents and importers under the pretence that their containers are on the watch list for drug import.

“To insinuate that our organisation will engage in extortion under the guise of watchlisting containers is not only unfounded but also malicious. We pride ourselves on maintaining the highest ethical standards and strictly adhering to all legal and regulatory requirements.

“Our focus is solely on promoting transparency, facilitating legitimate trade, and maintaining the integrity of the supply chain,” he said.

He pointed out that the real impediments to the federal government’s ease of doing business at the port are the non-compliance, alongside false declaration of cargo and concealments by the importers and traders, aided by agents.

“Importers and agents are expected to be honest and transparent in their activities which will make our jobs easier and straightforward, but their unfortunate tendency to conceal led to the numerous seizures witnessed,” he said.

The NDLEA boss noted that the organisation did not undertake the watchlisting process independently but involved collaboration with government authorities, customs agencies, and relevant stakeholders, who are responsible for overseeing and implementing these measures.

He added that these checks and balances ensure that decisions regarding container watch listing are based on actionable intelligence and objective risk assessments rather than personal interests.

(NAN)