The Nigerian Navy on Thursday handed over 463 bags of cannabis sativa (marijuana) worth N500 million it intercepted during a routine patrol to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Malami Haruna, handed over the seized drugs to NDLEA’s Commander on Narcotics, Isaac Uzah, at NNS BEECROFT, Apapa, Lagos.
Haruna said that the boat ladened with the suspected contraband was intercepted during a routine sea patrol conducted by the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (SBS) off Lagos Fairway buoy in May.
“On sighting the patrol boat, the suspects jumped into a speed boat and sped off, though the suspects are at large, efforts are being made to apprehend them.
“However, investigations reveal that the boat, loaded with 463 large sacks of compressed marijuana is worth more than N500 million in the local market amongst other items.
“The hard drugs will be handed over to the NDLEA inline with extant regulations for the arrest and handover of suspects and evidence to appropriate agencies,” he said.
The commander said that the prevention of large quantity of hard drugs from entering the society would help to reduce drug intake that lead youths toward committing crimes in the society.
“The seizure has also deprived the owners of the contraband the funds to sustain their operations,” he said.
Also speaking, the NDLEA Commander on Narcotics, Isaac Uzah, said that the Nigerian Navy was one of the agencies of government in collaboration with the NDLEA, supporting the war against transnational crime.
Uzah, also NDLEA’s Marine Commander, said that the Navy was living up to expectations specifically with the agency in spite of the numerous challenges of the maritime domain.
“In January alone, the Navy made massive arrest and seizure, handing over 529 bags of cannabis to the NDLEA and they have seized 463 bags of cannabis again.
“The Nigerian Navy has been complementing the effort of the NDLEA under the leadership of Gen. Mohammed Marwa, who has launched the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA),” he said.
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