Customs Intercepts Fake Drugs, Generate N426m from Importers

Stories by Eromosele Abiodun

The Comptroller General Strike Force Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it intercepted unregistered and fake drugs imported into the country through the nation’s seaport.

In a chat with newsmen in Lagos, the Coordinator of the unit, Deputy Comptroller, Ahmadu Shuaibu, said the unit also recovered N426.4 million as debit note collected on cargoes that were under declared at the seaport.

According to him, also impounded were super market goods, smuggled foreign parboiled rice among others smuggled items intercepted by the unit.

He said, “Sequel to conscientious documentary checks, the ICT component of the team recovered the sum of N426.4 million from demand notices (DN) raised with within April till yesterday. The money recovered from demand notices could have been lost to unscrupulous importers.”

He said the seizures were products of credible intelligence and meticulous documentary checks, adding that government’s rationale for prohibiting the importation/exportation of some of the goods was to safeguard the nation’s socio-economic and health wellbeing.

While giving the breakdown of the seizures made within the period under review, he said the seizures included, 575 bales of secondhand clothing, 1,1440 cartons of super market goods, 664 cartons of drugs without NAFDAC number, 530 cartons of foot wears and 1,600 bags of foreign parboiled rice.

However, he decried the unlawful importation of textile materials into the country, adding that importation was killing the nation’s textile industries and jobs meant for teeming youth in the country.

He warned importers to desist from importing goods, which have negative impact on the nation’s economy and the lives of Nigerians.

He added, “While we appreciate our patriotic trader’s for their compliance with the Customs and Excise extant laws, we employ the cooperation of all international traders to imbibe compliance in the interest of the nation’s socio-economic wellbeing and security.”