Francis Sardauna in Katsina 

The Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted two private vehicles loaded with illicit drugs worth N692 million along Kongolom and other border communities in the state.

The illicit drugs, comprising 14 cartons of tramadol worth N28 million, fragaballin capsules worth N650 million and 194 wraps of cannabis sativa, amounting to N692 million, were concealed in the two vehicles.

Displaying the items before journalists, the Command Area Controller, Comptroller Abba-Aji Idriss, said the intercepted illicit drugs were the first of its kind in the history of the command. 

He lamented that most of the border communities in the state are infiltrated with illicit drugs and the smugglers had deviated from rice smuggling to illicit drugs for profitable gains.

He said: “Recently in one of our borders, we were able to confiscate illicit drugs, tramadol in particular in a large quantity of about 14 cartons worth N650 million. We also confiscated fragaballin capsules worth almost N28 million. 

“This is the largest of its kind in the command, and you can not divorce the use of drugs from banditry that is going on in this region. All these were conveyed in private vehicles. 

“They have to conceal the items in vehicles that will make you believe that the vehicles are ordinary vehicles, and we will never know if we don’t stop and search. 

“By so doing, luck was on our side and we came across two vehicles at different times, and each of them conveyed a very large quantity of these illicit drugs.”

He, however, said one suspect has been arrested in connection with the seizures and would be charged to court after preliminary investigation.

Idriss called on residents of the state to work assiduously with the command in order to tame the activities of smugglers in the state.

The post Customs Intercepts N692m Illicit Drugs in Katsina appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

​