N259m Bust: Customs Intercepts Luxury Bus Carrying Military Uniforms, Cannabis
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, has inter
cepted a luxury bus conveying military camouflage uniforms and Cannabis sativa along the Sagamu–Benin Expressway.
The Area Comptroller, Mr. Olukayode Afeni, disclosed this during a news conference on Monday in Idiroko.
Afeni said the interception was carried out at about 1.30 a.m. on May 17 by a patrol team during intelligence-driven surveillance along the Sagamu–Benin corridor.
He said the operation reflected a strategic shift in enforcement tactics, focusing on intelligence-led interventions within inland routes.
“Our network of informants and analysts worked tirelessly to track this specific threat using real-time intelligence,” he said.
The comptroller said the luxury bus, which had no registration number and belonged to a transport company, was immediately moved to the Ogun I Command Headquarters in Idiroko for a physical examination.
He listed the items discovered in the vehicle to include 197 camouflage trousers and shorts concealed in unmarked cartons, five camouflage uniforms, two complete sets of camouflage (top and bottom), and 32 pieces of mixed camouflage inner wear.
Others included seven parcels of suspected synthetic cannabis, known as “Colorado”, as well as other unclassified items pending investigation and forensic analysis.
Afeni said the estimated street value of the cannabis, including “Canadian Loud” and “Colorado,” alongside the military camouflage items, was N259,680,000.
He said the seizure underscored the vigilance of officers, noting that the concealment of illicit drugs alongside military regalia suggested a coordinated attempt to undermine national security.
The comptroller said the cannabis and two suspects arrested in connection with the seizure would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday for further investigation.
Afeni warned smugglers and traffickers to desist from illegal activities, stressing that operatives of the command remain strategically deployed and fully committed to enforcement.
In his response, the Commander of the NDLEA Idiroko Special Area Command, Mr. Williams Ekundayo, commended the Customs Service for the seizure.
He assured that further necessary actions would be taken on the suspects and seized items to ensure proper prosecution of offenders. (NAN)