The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Department of State Services (DSS) have uncovered and seized hard drugs named captagon pills concealed inside cylinders of an imported machine at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa.
Spokesman of the Apapa Area Command of the NCS, A. Usman, said the discovery, which was made in a joint operation by the three services that lasted for about a week following intelligence and painstaking dismantling of the machine, involved deployed service personnel and sniffer dogs.
“Mr Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf, Area Controller of Apapa Command; Mr Samuel Bashir Gadzama, Commander of NDLEA in Apapa and Officer in charge of the DSS at the port were said to be at the fore of the week-long operation.
“Further dismantling of cylinders in the machine is currently ongoing. The operation which involved heads of the three services will be sustained in the fight against all forms of smuggling and infractions.
“One suspect in connection with the seizure was arrested while further examination and counting are ongoing before more details will be unveiled.
“The long-term use of the drug leads to remarkable side effects. The most common of them are extreme depression, lethargy, sleep deprivation (insomnia), occasional palpitation, heart and blood vessel toxicity and malnutrition.
“The drug has also been found out to be one of the most notorious stimulant being taken by insurgents affiliated to ISIS and other terrorist groups in the Middle East,” the Customs spokesman explained in the statement.