Nigeria Customs Uncovers Decades-Old Drug Seizures from 1986-1987, Hands Over to NDLEA

Nigeria Customs Uncovers Decades-Old Drug Seizures from 1986-1987, Hands Over to NDLEA

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered long-forgotten hard drug seizures dating back to 1986 and 1987 during a routine clearance and renovation of an old operations warehouse, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, revealed on Thursday in Kano.

Adeniyi explained that officers discovered a locked cabinet that had been transferred across successive Customs leaderships with no available key and unclear documentation of its contents. Following safety checks to rule out explosive hazards, the cabinet was forcibly opened, revealing decades-old drug seizures.

Recovered items include six blocks and three slabs of cannabis sativa weighing a total of 16.4 kilogrammes, 52,168 capsules of quinal barbitone sodium (100mg) totaling 14.6 kilogrammes, permuline tablets weighing 246 grammes, a whitish substance of 2.7 kilogrammes referred for further testing, and two parcels of heroin weighing 220.01 grammes.

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Adeniyi noted that the seizures predated the establishment of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), explaining why they remained under Customs custody for over three decades. He confirmed that the items would now be formally transferred to NDLEA for further investigation and testing.

Deputy Commander of Operations and Training, Bello Garba Jabo, representing the NDLEA Kano Strategic Command, commended the NCS for preserving the seized drugs over decades and highlighted that, despite potential loss of potency, all substances would undergo comprehensive forensic analysis.

The handover marks the end of decades-long custody by Customs and underscores continued collaboration between enforcement agencies in Nigeria to tackle drug-related crimes.

This discovery not only highlights Customs’ exhibit management over the years but also strengthens the partnership between NCS and NDLEA in addressing long-standing drug enforcement challenges.

Nigeria Customs Uncovers Decades-Old Drug Seizures from 1986-1987, Hands Over to NDLEA