The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mohammed Buba Marwa, on Wednesday, said the agency’s Marine Command and other maritime law enforcement agencies seized at least 750 tons of illicit drugs in the last three years.

Marwa, who stated this in Lagos at the inauguration of the NDLEA Marine Command Headquarters, a facility built and donated by the British Government, added that the partnership had led to the arrest of 41 suspects, 15 of whom were already prosecuted and jailed.

According to him, the agency’s balance sheet of arrests and seizures of drugs within the maritime space had maintained an upward swing.

He said, “We did not make a mistake when, in 2022, we upgraded the Marine Unit to a full-fledged command. Our balance sheet of arrests and seizures of drugs within the maritime space has maintained an upward swing. The collaboration of the agency’s Marine Command with other maritime law enforcement agencies has resulted in the interception of 61,688.79 kg of varying drugs and the arrest of 41 suspects, 15 of whom are already prosecuted and jailed. Through our various port operations in the last three years, the agency has seized at least 750 tons of illicit drugs ranging from cocaine to codeine, tramadol, methamphetamine and Loud, to mention a few.”

While calling for continuous collaboration among various security agencies operating within the maritime space, the NDLEA boss said the operation of its Special Marine Squad on the waterways of Lagos had shown the increasing complexity of maritime drug trafficking.

The NDLEA boss explained that aside from merchant ships, personal vessels, including luxury yachts, modified pump boats, and fishing trawlers, were also being employed in the growing drug trade.

“Countering this threat requires intense coastal monitoring and collaboration among security agencies to track, search and profile the various vessels on our waterways, as is the case now”, he added.

Quoting the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, Marwa said, “Over 80 per cent of the volume of international trade is carried by sea, and the percentage is even higher for developing countries.”

He said this was equally true of illicit drug trade because maritime routes had long been exploited by drug traffickers due to the vast expanses of the open sea and the complexity of maritime laws and jurisdictions noting that the illicit drug trade via maritime channels posed severe threats, not only in terms of drug proliferation but also because of its links to organised crime, terrorism, and human trafficking.

“Recent records from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that West Africa remains an important transit region for narcotics, mostly emanating from South America. We have had at least four trafficking cases in the last two years involving merchant ships (aside from cases of drugs concealed in cargo containers) from South America to Nigeria. The cases are evidence that the maritime corridor provides mobility for illicit trafficking activity,” he further stated.

In his remark at the occasion, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Jonny Baxter, justified why the UK Government was supporting the work of the NDLEA.

The Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu Hundeyin, said, “The NDLEA’s presence in Lagos has been pivotal in curbing the illegal drug trade. Your efforts have not only protected our citizens but also enhanced the overall security and well-being of our state.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the monetary value of the tons varied according to the type of drugs.

He said, “There are different types of illicit drugs in the 750 tons and they vary in monetary value. We don’t disclose their value so as not to make people more desperate.”

Credit: punchng.com