How Customs-NDLEA Collaboration Uncovered Drugs, Arms Smuggling Syndicate
The Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Tin Can, have uncovered a West African smuggling syndicate responsible for the movement of illicit drugs, arms and ammunition, and other prohibited items into the country.
Their latest operation which involved the movement of arms and other psycoactive substances into the country was intercepted by officers of the Service upon cargo examination were the items were detained in line with Customs procedure while further investigations into their origin are still being carried out.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Tin Can Island Port command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, while briefing journalists of the development, yesterday, said that the seizures occured between January 1 and March 14, 2024.
The items seized include;
11 pieces of rifles and 6 pistols
- Two packets of 50pcs of 9mm live ammunition (otalling 100 rounds)
- Twenty-three packets weighing 23kg of substance confirmed to be heroine
- Marked white 999– Ten packets of 1kg each (totalling 10kg)
- Marked white 888– three packets of 1kg each (totalling 3kg)
- Marked blue Saphire— Eight (8) packets of 1kg each (totalling 8kg)
- Marked 777 Bentley— Two (2) packets of 1kg each (totalling 2kg)
The Customs Area Controller explained that while investigations are on-going, details of the country of origin and the cartel sponsoring the circulation are being investigated.
Nnadi also said that arrests were made in connection with the seizures and checks to trace the importer who is believed to be complicit in the movement of these items are being carried out.
On his part, Area Commander, Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Muhammed Aminu Abubakar, said that tip off from members of the special investigations and enforcement units were instrumental to securing the arrests.
His words: “The effort of our targeted team in the command a well as Special Investigations unit, the Maritime Enforcement unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for their intelligence in sourcing for the information and processing it which culminated in what we witnessed here.
“This is one of the special syndicate in trafficking illicit drug across the West African region. The heroin arrest here has a relation to the recently made seizure at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. We had about 21.9kg of this substance and it can be traced to the same syndicate.
“Collaboration with our sister agencies, especially in Customs, can put an end to this. We are working with our external collaborators. The people who are outside the country who are sending these items, some of them are already in the hand of the security agencies in those countries
“Collaboration with security agencies would safeguard our own borders. This is a wake-up call to all the security agencies working in the maritime industry to do our own part in making sure that that they don’t come in or leave our shores.”
Nnadi assured the NDLEA boss that collaboration will be sustained in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Collaboration will be sustained. As you also know, upon assumption of office, the Comptroller General of Customs has made it a point of duty to visit all other security agencies.
“For NDLEA, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with them on collaboration. At strategy level and at operational level, we are collaborating and the result is showing.
“One thing we should do is that we should also collaborate at tactical level. That level of collaboration will include training opportunities. The Comptroller General was at Jaji to kickstart the Operation Haske Biyu which is a training exercise for all security agencies.”
He appreciated the efforts of the Customs Intelligence Unit operatives, Customs Police, Enforcement Unit, amongst other units and other sister security agencies.
The event ended with the handover of the seized items to the NDLEA Commander.
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