The Nigerian Customs Service Sokoto Zamfara Area Command has handed over illicit drugs valued at N99.9 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Sokoto.
The Customs Area Comptroller, Aliyu Musa Ndako, presented the seized items to the NDLEA State Commander, Mustapha Gidado, on Monday. The drugs, with a Duty Paid Value of N99.9 million, were intercepted by an NCS patrol team after being abandoned by an unidentified individual along Maidoro Village on the Sokoto Illela Road.
Musa Ndako disclosed that the seizure comprised 182 cartons of CST cough syrup containing codeine and NASACAM Piroxicam capsules suspected to have been smuggled into the country. He explained that the handover followed a directive from the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale, mandating that all illicit pharmaceutical products be transferred to the NDLEA for appropriate action.
According to the comptroller, the move was not merely procedural but a decisive enforcement step aligned with resolutions reached at the recent CGC Conference in Abuja. He said the seizure underscores the service’s determination to protect the nation from the dangers posed by illegal and harmful drugs.
Musa Ndako reaffirmed the commitment of the Customs Service to intelligence driven operations and strengthened inter agency collaboration to enhance national security and public safety.
In his response, Gidado commended the Customs Service for the successful interception, describing it as evidence of effective synergy among enforcement agencies. He expressed optimism for deeper collaboration to curb the influx of counterfeit drugs and other prohibited items into the country.
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