The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mohammed Marwa (retd.), has disclosed that in different operations by the the agency’s Marine Command and other maritime law enforcement agencies have successfully sized at least 750 tons of illicit drugs in the last three years.
He disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking at the inauguration of the NDLEA Marine Command Headquarters, a facility that has been built and donated by the British Government to the law enforcement agency in the country. Marwa noted that the combined efforts have led to the arrest of 41 suspects, with 15 already prosecuted and sent to jail in different courts in the country.
Marwa disclosed that the records of the agency in the past years have shown that the agency has continued to make progress in the arrest of individuals related to drug offences.
While commenting the decision if the agency to upgraded the Marine Unit to a full-fledged command he noted that it was a wise decision taken by the agency. He noted that the 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.
He further noted that in the various port operations carried out in the country in the last three years, the agency has been able to intercept 750 tons of illicit drugs ranging from cocaine to codeine, tramadol, methamphetamine and Loud.
He noted that the agency has discovered that the traffickers have started to deploy merchant ships and personal vessels, including luxury yachts, modified pump boats, and fishing trawlers, into the growing drug trade in the country.
He noted that inorder to tackle the issues it was important for the agency to increase coastal monitoring and collaboration between the agencies involved in the tracking of profiles of all the individuals in the business.
Marwa, while speaking, further quoted the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, noting that over 80 per cent of the volume of international trade is carried by sea, with the percentage even higher for developing countries.
He confirmed the statement by stating that it was true that of illicit drug trade because maritime routes had long been exploited by drug traffickers, which is due to the large area that the open sea has with the complexities that exist in the maritime laws and jurisdictions. He noted that the activities of illicit drugs in the maritime have posed so many threats. His reasons, he said, were not only for the drug proliferation but also because of its links to organised crime, terrorism, and human trafficking.
Marwa noted that the records released recently by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime show that West Africa has been an area utilised by narcotics, mostly coming from South America. He noted that the agency has, in the last two years, interacted with cases of merchant ships from South America to Nigeria. He noted that the case has shown that the maritime corridor provides mobility for illicit trafficking activity.
While responding, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Jonny Baxter, noted that it was important for the UK government to support the work that the NDLEA has done.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu Hundeyin, who represented the governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated that the efforts made by the NDLEA in Lagos have helped curb the activities of illegal drug trading in the country. He appreciated the agency for its efforts, noting that it has protected the citizens and helped secure the state.
