Customs intercept psychoactive drugs in Maiduguri

By Fredrick Ameh

The Borno/Yobe Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted psychoactive substances and endangered wildlife along the Kano Road corridor in Maiduguri.

Customs Area Controller, Idris Abdullahi disclosed the details of the seizures during a briefing at the Command Headquarters, describing the operations as intelligence-driven and part of a sustained anti-smuggling strategy.

In the first operation, conducted on April 15, officers intercepted a vehicle conveying 180 bags of a potent psychoactive substance locally known as Akuskura.

The illicit haul was sophisticatedly concealed as general merchandise, with each bag containing approximately 500 bottles, totaling 90,000 bottles.

A separate operation on April 20 led to the interception of a diverse consignment of endangered wildlife species along the same route.

The recovery included two live antelopes, one dead antelope, one porcupine, two civet cats, four eagles, and 13 live tortoises.

Preliminary findings indicate that these species are protected under Appendix I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international treaty designed to prevent the extinction of wildlife through unregulated trade.

Reacting, Controller Abdullahi emphasized that the seizures were executed in strict accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and various international conventions.

He noted that while smugglers are increasingly adopting desperate concealment tactics to evade detection, the Service remains resolute in its mandate.

He lamented the impact of such illegal trades, stating that psychoactive substances destroy the nation’s youth and fuel criminality, while the illegal wildlife trade rapidly depletes Nigeria’s natural heritage.

The Customs chief commended the officers involved in the successful operations, attributing the results to robust intelligence sharing with sister security agencies.

He vowed to intensify surveillance along key routes prone to smuggling and called on the public to provide timely information to support enforcement efforts.

The seized items are expected to be handed over to the relevant regulatory authorities for further investigation and the prosecution of suspects.