The Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted two private vehicles carrying illicit drugs valued at N692 million along Kongolom and other border communities in the state.
The seized items included 14 cartons of tramadol worth N28 million, fragaballin capsules valued at N650 million, and 194 wraps of cannabis sativa. The substances were concealed in the vehicles to evade detection.
Addressing journalists during the display of the seizures, the Area Controller, Comptroller Abba-Aji Idriss, described the operation as the largest drug interception in the command’s history.
He noted that smugglers in the border communities have shifted from rice smuggling to illicit drugs for higher profits, warning that drug abuse is closely linked to the rise in banditry in the region.
“This is the largest of its kind in the command, and you cannot divorce the use of drugs from the banditry going on in this region. The items were conveyed in private vehicles and concealed to appear ordinary, but luck was on our side during the stop-and-search operations,” Idriss said.
One suspect has been arrested in connection with the seizures and will be prosecuted after investigations.
The comptroller urged residents to cooperate with the command to help curb smuggling activities across the state.
