Seme Customs Recovers N1.4b, Handsover Illicit Medicaments

Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has intercepted a total of139 cartons of expired soft drinks.

The command also stated that it intercepted a total of 325,950 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise locally known as petrol, estimated at over ten (10) tankers of 33,000litres each.
The Customs Area Controller, Compt. Mohammed Jibo during a press conference earlier today said aside the 139 cartons of expired soft drinks intercepted, it also impounded some consignments of illicit and restricted medicaments.

Speaking on the war against smuggling of petroleum products, with respect to a recent offensive by his officers and men, Jibo said, “The continuous surveillance of the beaches and creeks by our men, has yet recorded another huge interception of one thousand, six hundred (1,600) Jerry cans of petroleum product of 30 litres each.
“The arrest was made at the late hours of Tuesday, 7 June 2022 along Seme- Badagry waterways.”
Jibo listed the illicit drugs to include
100 cartons of gabadol/tramadol, 120 milligrams, 2.8 kilograms, 306 parcels of cannabis sativa and 132 packets of tramadol capsules; with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of one Billion, Four Hundred and Eighty One Million, One Hundred and Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy One Naira (N1, 481,107,671.00) only.

He explained that seized petrol alone, intercepted along the Badagry and Seme creeks has DPV of N65.6million.
He said other items seized are 86 pieces of Apetamin syrup; 302 prices of Dynewell Syrup; 50 pieces of Baba Yellow Syrup; three sachets of Rofhymol, 32 bottles of Cough Syrup; 99 cartons of fearless Energy Drinks and 139 cartons of Soft Drinks with a DPV of N1.48billion.
The Customs Area boss disclosed that two suspects were arrested in connection to some of the seizures, even as he said that the seized petroleum products would be auctioned in line with standard operating procedure (SOP) relating to seized perishable items.

He attributed the impressive performance of the command, officers and men to renewed strategies and the uncommon support of the CGC’s led management.
“Professionalism, discipline, good working relationship with our stakeholders, cordial relationship with the host communities and collaboration with other security agencies, were part of strategies responsible for this scorecard.

While handing over the offensive medicaments, he said the service will not relent in looking out for the wellbeing of Nigerians by taking steps to block the smuggling of harmful and unauthorized medicines.
His words: “In the NCS’s quest to ensure the safety and well-being of Nigerians, most especially the fight against drug trafficking, today, the Command is handing over the items to both
National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“This is sequel to the approval granted by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), and in line with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and equally in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation and synergy, the items are handed over to NDLEA and NAFDAC for further investigation.”