The Nigerian Customs Service, working in concert with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized N1.5 billion ($9.91 million) worth of heroin concealed in auto parts container shipped from Iran. This is coming just a few days after Nigeria reported Iran to the United Nations (UN) over an illegal arms shipment from the Arab nation.

According to Reuters, the haul, which was one of the NDLEA’s biggest seizures at the Apapa Port, in Lagos, was based on “strong intelligence” received from foreign collaborators about four months ago.
Based on the intelligence, the agency had closely monitored the consignment and some key players behind its shipment before it arrived in Lagos, NDLEA spokesman Mitchell Ofoyeju said.

“The NDLEA , decided to get a welder to cut open the engine parts and behold, we found hidden inside them 130 kg of heroin with a street value of about N1.5 billion ($9.91 million),” Ofoyeju told Reuters.
“The consignment was from Iran and we have arrested three Nigerians connected with the illicit drugs.”

It was gathered that the drugs came in a 40-foot container aboard a vessel, MV Montenegro. Area Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Austin Warikoru, said the vessel, MD Montenegro, brought the container into the port on Wednesday evening and was intercepted by his men.
He said: “We got wind of the container based on advance information and we decided to carry out inspection on the container. We discovered a large quantity of heroin concealed inside propellers and cylinders found in the containers.”

The quantity of the heroin, the customs boss said, was yet to be ascertained as the organisation is still conducting investigations and carrying out inspection. He also stated that the importer is not yet known, as the container was not yet declared and no documentation had been made on the container.
He said: “We are yet to uncover the person behind this, but I am sure before we conclude investigations, we must unmask the person or persons involved.
“The goods originated from Iran and the last destination port of the vessel is Nigeria. So, the question of the container being on transit is ruled out.”

Also confirming the interception of the large quantity of hard drugs, Customs spokesman, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, said that about 10 wraps of heroine each weighing 112kg had been off-loaded from the container. According to him, the manifest for the shipment had indicated that it was building materials.
Saturday Sun gathered that the shipping company that brought in the 13 containers of arms and ammunition intercepted recently at the Apapa Port, also brought the heroine-laden container.

Some months ago, about 450.400kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of over N4billion was seized at the port.
Nigeria reported Iran to the United Nations Security Council last week after the state secret service intercepted an illegal arms shipment from Iran at Lagos port last month.

Rockets and other explosives hidden in containers of building materials were shipped to Nigeria from Iran in an apparent breach of UN sanctions imposed over Tehran’s refusal to halt a sensitive nuclear programme.
Nigeria is not a major narcotics consumer, but, like several other coastal West African nations, it is a major transit hub for trafficking in hard drugs from Asia and Latin America to Western markets thanks to lax customs controls and corruption.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/nov/20/newsbreak-20-11-2010-001.htm