BY PHILIP NWOSU
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has intercepted a van loaded with 20 bags of suspected cannabis sativa weighing approximately 840 kilogrammes in the Ijegun area of Lagos, as part of its ongoing efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking and enhance maritime security within the state.
According to the Navy, the operation, resulted to the interception was carried out by the Base Quick Response Team (QRT) in collaboration with internal security personnel from Operation MESA, following credible intelligence.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Executive Officer of NNS BEECROFT, Navy Captain Idongesit Udoesien, who represented the Commander of the base, Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, disclosed that the suspects fled the scene upon sighting the naval patrol team, abandoning the vehicle with a foreign registration number.
“The vehicle was discovered to be laden with 20 bags of suspected cannabis weighing about 840kg. Pertinently, the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled upon sighting our patrol team,” Udoesien said.
He added that the intercepted van and the seized drugs have been handed over to Marine Commander Morrison Emmanuel Udo of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos Command, for further investigation and necessary action.
Captain Udoesien emphasized that the successful operation reflects the Navy’s sustained drive under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, to clamp down on illegal maritime activities, particularly the trafficking of narcotics and other contraband through Nigeria’s coastal waters.
“The Nigerian Navy remains actively engaged in supporting internal security operations and collaborating with sister agencies to protect lives, properties and the nation’s maritime domain,” he noted.
He assured that NNS BEECROFT would continue to intensify surveillance, patrols, and intelligence-driven operations aimed at denying criminals freedom of movement across Lagos waterways and adjoining creeks, thereby ensuring a safe environment for socio-economic activities to thrive.
Captain Udoesien also commended the professionalism and vigilance of naval personnel involved in the operation and urged members of the public to assist security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could aid in curbing criminal activities within Lagos State.
