The Customs authorities have explained how they trapped N20bn worth of illicit drugs and other contrabands in Onne Port last week.
This is as Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General, has threatened tougher times against those smuggling contraband goods into the country.
He said more sophisticated means and technologies have been procured to track the items no matter how they are concealed.
Adeniyi disclosed that the Nigeria Customs had since intensified intelligence-led enforcement across all commands, particularly focusing on high-risk corridors and ports of entry, to ensure that importation and exportation of contraband goods become a thing of the past.
The CG spoke at Area 2 Customs Command, Onne, Rivers State, while displaying contraband goods seized by the Customs.
The seized items were 16 containers, 11 of which contained assorted types of illicit hard drugs all valued at over N20bn.
The CG explained that the illicit items were concealed beneath legitimate consumer goods, including chilly cutters and ceiling fans to exploit legitimate trade channels and evade regulatory scrutiny.
Providing details and break down of the seized items, the CG said, “The Command has successfully intercepted a total of 16 containers with an aggregate Duty Paid Value (ADPV) of N20.549bn as calculated in accordance with Service valuation protocols.
He said: “Analysis of these seizures reveals sophisticated concealment tactics and systematic attempts to circumvent established import protocols. He said 11 containers were found to contain illicit pharmaceutical products: 1,301,000 bottles of Codeine Syrup (100ml each); 9,300,000 tablets of Really Extra Diclofenac.
“Others include 12.6m tablets of Royal Tapentadol/Tramadol (225mg each); 3.5m tablets of Trodol (5mg each); 210,000 tablets of Hyergra (200mg each); 17,360 tablets of Bisoveu grams 2.2m tablets of Bassuka (50mg each).
He went on: “The contraband items were strategically concealed within legitimate consumer goods including 9,280 pieces of chilly cutters, 118 pieces of ceiling fans, 2,610 pieces of plumbing materials, 2,268 pieces of Smart Tech vehicle parts, 97,200 tins of tomato paste, and 700 cartons of cream.”
The CGC said that the seized pharmaceutical products, if allowed entry in the country and the public, poses severe health risks including drug addiction.
“The potential impact of these illicit pharmaceuticals on public health and national security cannot be overstated. Unregulated pharmaceutical products pose severe risks including drug addiction, compromised treatment outcomes, and the facilitation of organized criminal activities that threaten community safety and national stability,” he added.
Adeniyi said that the customs efforts were in line with President Bola Tinubu’s comprehensive approach to combating transnational organized crime and ensuring that Nigeria’s borders remain impenetrable to criminal enterprises seeking to compromise the country’s sovereignty.
“The Nigeria Customs Service maintains steadfast commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s policy objectives of securing our borders, protecting public health, and safeguarding national security.”
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While commending officers and men of the Port Harcourt Area II Command for their vigilance, professionalism, and dedication to duty which led to the successful interceptions, the CG reaffirmed the service’ commitment to supporting President Tinubu’s security and economic transformation agenda through enhanced border management, strengthened inter-agency collaboration, and sustained anti-smuggling operations.
“We shall deploy all resources at our disposal to ensure that Nigeria’s borders remain secure against those who would compromise our national health security and economic prosperity for criminal gains.
“We hereby serve notice to all criminal networks attempting to use our borders for illicit activities: the Nigeria Customs Service, in partnership with sister agencies, maintains zero tolerance for smuggling operations and will pursue the full weight of the law against all perpetrators,” he added.
Earlier, Mohammed Babandede, the Controller, Port Harcourt Area II Command, said the latest feat by the Command was achieved in collaboration with sister agencies most especially, Nigerian Draw Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Directorate of State Security (DSS).
“We have today, 11 x 40 foot containers of illicit drugs, and 4 x 20 containers of prohibited tomatoe pastes, and 1 x40 container of assorted goods.
“We were able to achieve this because of the excellent relationship and collaboration which has been part of the CGC’s policy trust on collaboration, consolidation and innovation. So, we are not doing it alone, we are doing it in synergy with other sister agencies,” he said.
