The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the weekend announced the interception of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed aboard a Brazilian vessel, MV San Anthonio.
The drugs were packaged in 24 parcels and concealed neatly inside five bags, but uncovered in what authorities have described as intelligence-led operation undertaken by a joint team of Narcotics and Customs officers.
Already, the illicit substances and the carrier vessel has been handed over to officials of the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in furtherance of investigations.
Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, applauded the successful operation, noting that the breakthrough was made possible by the mutual collaboration between the NCS and NDLEA.
According to him, intelligence revealed that after departing Brazil, the vessel was flagged and placed under surveillance till she arrived in Nigeria.
He said intelligence revealed that after departing Brazil, the vessel made stops in Honduras, Guatemala, and other locations notorious for narcotics trafficking, prompting heightened scrutiny upon arrival in Lagos.
Comptroller Oshoba reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to safeguarding the port from illicit activities, stressing that the operation aligns with the zero-tolerance directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
While handing over the seized drugs to the NDLEA at a brief ceremony, Controller Oshoba confirmed that the vessel remains in custody.
‘What you are seeing today is the result of detailed profiling and intelligence-driven operations by both the NCS and NDLEA’, he said.
‘This seizure and the detention of the ship sends a clear warning to criminal networks attempting to exploit our ports. No syndicate can outsmart the collaborative strength of our security agencies’.
He added that with the Yuletide approaching, the command will prioritize national security over trade facilitation.
‘Every consignment leaving Apapa Port must be thoroughly examined and must match its declaration. We will not compromise’, he asserted.
The NDLEA team, led by CN Haliru Umar, Commander of the Apapa Strategic Command, received the consignment on behalf of the agency.
