Customs FOU ‘A’ seizes N10bn drugs, tackles arms smuggling

The seizure according to the controller of the unit, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu was as a result of the aggressive onslaught against the smuggling of drugs including tramadol.

Apart from tramadol, dangerous drugs such as Shakapain, Hiegra (men stimulant) as well as several kilogrammes of Cannabis sativa (Indian hemp); all ferried in from Asian countries were recently seized by the Unit.

Speaking during a briefing held at the Lagos headquarters of the Unit, Ejibunu harped on the determination of the Unit and his men to intercept dangerous products, onshore or offshore.

He said that the Unit’s anti-smuggling officers are not also closing their eyes to the movement of small arms and light weapons, noting that ” such has also featured as a major seizure in the period under consideration. Apart from a few pistols snatched from fleeing suspects, more than 751 cartridges smuggled into the country by dare-devil importers have also been intercepted.”

Ejibunu said that several thousand of bags of foreign parboiled rice have also been seized, following the ban on importation of foreign rice through the nation’s borders in the last three years.

”Unregistered pharmaceutical products seized in April this year has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N587.9 million while in February, goods worth N4.5 billion were confiscated with 9,675 bags of rice while in January, more than 135 trailer-loads of rice with N2 billion revenue remitted to government coffers through the raising of Demand Notices (DN).”

Ejibunu added that his men were ever ready, using intelligence to track the movement of unwholesome and dangerous cargoes within the zone; and would not leave any stone unturned in tracking drug barons and economic saboteurs.