The Western Marine Command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted contraband items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N582.2 million within five months of operations.
The Controller of the Command, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, disclosed this on Thursday during a news conference and the decoration of 36 newly promoted officers at the WMC headquarters in Lagos.
Ntadi, who assumed office on April 1, said the seizures were made during anti-smuggling operations across the waterways of the South-West.
According to him, the command intercepted 1,827 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 47 kegs of 50-litre petrol, 170 sacks of ammonium sulphate, 86 polypropylene sacks, and 17 sacks of cannabis sativa.
Other seizures included 1,312 loaves of cannabis known locally as “Arizona Loud,” 80 loaves of “Scottish Loud,” 106 loaves of “Ghana Loud,” as well as engines, fibre boats, and wooden boats used by smugglers.
Ntadi added that the command also recovered N1.9 million from auctioning intercepted petroleum products.
“These seizures represent significant steps in protecting our economy, safeguarding public health, and deterring illicit trade,” the Customs chief said.
He commended his officers for their dedication, noting that the Western Marine Command had recorded infrastructural and operational upgrades in the past five months.
The improvements, he said, included a renovated command entrance, new security posts, an enlarged jetty, and refurbished outstations at Ere and Bar Beach.
He also announced that renovation work at the Igbokoda station in Ondo State would commence on Sept. 22 as part of ongoing efforts to boost the command’s operational reach.
According to Ntadi, the command has also enhanced its fleet with the repair of four patrol boats, refurbishment of two vehicles, and the provision of new crew facilities, alongside welfare improvements for officers.
During the handover of seized cannabis, the Commander of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Wakawa, revealed that the substances were adulterated and genetically modified.
Wakawa praised the partnership between Customs and the NDLEA, stressing that the joint operations were vital to reducing the circulation of dangerous drugs.
He urged smugglers to abandon the illicit trade and embrace legitimate business activities that support national growth.
Ntadi expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, and other stakeholders for their support, assuring that the command was better positioned to secure Nigeria’s waterways against smugglers.
