The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has uncovered cocaine weighing 25.5kg onboard a Brazilian ship, MV San Anthonio.
The illicit drugs, packaged in 24 parcels/slabs, were hidden in five bags found aboard the ship during customs intelligence-led checks, which resulted in the detention of the vessel.
Customs Area Controller, Apapa Port Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, lauded the discovery, describing it as a fallout of the robust synergy between the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the Area Controller, customs intelligence discovered that upon her departure from Brazil, the ship’s country of origin, she had called at ports in Honduras, Guatemala, and other locations suspected to be hubs for illicit drug trafficking.
Oshoba reiterated the Nigeria Customs Service’s resolve to ensure that only legitimate trade thrives in the port of Apapa in Lagos, following a zero-compromise directive by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
He handed the seized drugs over to the NDLEA and confirmed the vessel’s detention. He said the operation was a result of strong profiling and intelligence collaboration between the NCS and NDLEA, warning that the seizure should deter smugglers.
He added that Customs was intensifying its partnership with other agencies and would prioritise national security during the Yuletide season, ensuring all consignments are thoroughly examined.