The Ogun State Custom Command has intercepted and seized 855kg of substance suspected to be Indian hemp valued at about N5 million.
Ogun State Area Controller, Mr Bamidele Akande while officially handing over the seized substance to the state controller of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Mohammed Mohammed said the consignment was intercepted along the Imeko border post of the state.
The border patrol team however failed to make arrests as the suspects were said to have abandoned their wares on sighting officials of the Customs Service.
Mr. Bamidele said “The substance was neatly packed in bags, while others were compressed in a tablet form”.
Receiving the seized substance from its sister agency, Mr. Mohammed lamented the surge in the movement of narcotics from the neighboring sister state, Benin Republic, and the uncooperative attitudes of the authorities in that country towards reducing the menace to the barest minimum.
Both agencies called on dwellers of the border communities to provide useful information that will lead to further arrests of criminals involved in the act of transporting banned substances in to the country.
Meanwhile, the Oyo/Osun command of the Nigeria Custom Service also made a seizure of 5 vehicles fully loaded with fabrics.
Area Comptroller Oyo/Osun Command, Abdul Amade told channels Television that the smugglers tried to sneak into Oyo state through Ayegun, a border town in the Oke Ogun axis of the state.
Amade said his men had laid an ambush for the defaulting persons for two days after receiving intelligence reports on their intentions.
He also said the smugglers fled after a long gun duel with the officers from his command thereby abandoning the smuggled goods.
He further warned that only people who do credible and legitimate businesses will transact freely in the state as security along border towns have been tightened.