The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘B’, has announced the interception of 185 blocks of Cannabis Sativa valued at ₦48.5 million, alongside other contraband items worth over ₦220 million in Kaduna State.
In a statement issued Thursday by Chief Superintendent of Customs Saidu Nuruddeen, the unit’s Public Relations Officer, the seizures were made during separate operations conducted on August 21.
The cannabis haul was recovered around 3:30 a.m. after operatives, acting on intelligence, stopped a vehicle along the Zaria flyover on the Kaduna–Zaria Expressway.
According to Nuruddeen, a male suspect was arrested at the scene after officers discovered nine sacks containing 185 compressed blocks of Cannabis Sativa, weighing approximately 89.6 kilograms. The illicit substance was assigned a duty paid value (DPV) of ₦48,562,500.
“The suspect and the exhibits have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution,” Nuruddeen stated.
In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted three vehicles transporting a range of smuggled goods.
Items recovered included 456 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 8,100 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 178 bales of second-hand clothing, 225 cartons of spaghetti, 107 used tyres, and 37 pieces of electric shockers (tasers). The total DPV of the contraband was estimated at ₦220,457,336.48.
Comptroller of the unit, Mr. Aliyu Alkali, commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his continued support and strategic leadership.
He reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to curbing smuggling, illegal trade, and the influx of uncustomed goods into the country.
“These seizures reflect our ongoing efforts to protect the national economy and reinforce internal security,” Alkali said.
The Nigeria Customs Service continues to intensify its enforcement operations across the country, targeting illicit trade routes and strengthening border surveillance.
