The operatives of the Nigerian Navy attached to the Western Naval Command have intercepted hard drugs worth more than N500M and handed them to National Drug Law Enforcement Agent (NDLEA) in Lagos.
The Navy said that the drugs were intercepted at about 1am on Saturday, May 21st, as the were loaded in a boat. It said that the boat was laden with 463 large sacks of compressed contraband suspected to be cannabis sativa popularly known as Marijuana.
While handing over the seized items during a press briefing on the update of some of the Naval activities, Commodore AM Haruna, the Commander Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, said the arrest was done during the routine sea patrol conducted by the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (NNSBS) off Lagos Fairway buoy.
He said that though the suspects at large, efforts are being made to apprehend them.
According to Haruna, the prevention of such large quantity of hard drugs from entering the Nigerian society, would serve to reduce drug intake that lead the youths towards committing crimes in the society, adding that it has also deprived the owners of the contraband the funds to sustain their operations.
He used the avenue to warn drug traffickers and other economic saboteurs that the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral AZ Gambo AM, maintains zero tolerance to criminalities and will not relent in its drive to rid the nation’s maritime space of all illegalities such as drug trafficking and oil theft, amongst others.
He commended the patrol teams for their commitment and unalloyed loyalty in living up to the assigned responsibilities of the Western Naval Command.
Isaac Uzah, Commander of Narcotic and Marine Commander, NDLEA, during the handover, described the handover as another milestone in NDLEA’s relationship and collaboration with the Nigeria Navy. “The Nigerian Navy is one of the agencies of government that are supporting the war against trans-national crime especially drug trafficking. The maritime domain is not only large, it is complex, and challenging but despite those challenges, the Nigeria Navy is living up to expectation, specifically with the NDLEA”.
He explained how since January this year, Navy have made very massive arrest and seizure. “Just on the11th of January 2022, they handed over 261 bags of the same Canabis. The same January on the 27th of this same year, they handed over 268 bags. And today again, they made a massive seizure which is over 463 bags. So the seizure and arrest speak volume in our relationship with the Nigeria Navy”.
He stated that the second seizure involved 20 Ghanian suspects who were apprehended and handed over, and are already facing prosecution today, Thursday in the Federal High court, Lagos.
According to Utah, this strive by the Navy is complimenting the determination of this present administration of NDLEA under the leadership of General Mohammed Buba Marwa, who has launched a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), and the result is massive.
He noted that recently, the Nigeria Navy handed over two eatery gun boats these which will not only increase NDLEA’s capability, but their understanding of the maritime environment, which will enhance more results. “It will make us to have a wide reach in the sea, thereby contributing more to the arrest and the seizure. In addition to these boats, they have helped us in training our personnel to man these boats and other communication and electronics aspects of operating in the maritime domain. So the contribution of the Nigerian Navy to the fight against drug trafficking and abuse is very massive.You will see the nexus between drugs and crime in the society”.
He noted that there is no heinous crime in this society that drug is not the oxygen. “Drug provides the oxygen that drives all these kidnapping, arson, murder, etc”, he added.
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