‘Officers Colluding With Terminals, Warehouse Owners, Agents To Fly Containers’ – Customs Boss

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Friday identified bad eggs within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), terminals and bonded warehouses involved in aiding the menace of traffic in drug smuggling.

The CGC who made the disclosure at the Tin Can Port Command while showcasing seized illicit substances and restricted pharmaceutical products vowed that all the law will take its toll on all those linked to the reported criminal breach of the national security by aiding the leakages of dangerous items and substances inimical to human health.

Briefing journalist at the command, Adeniyi announced that the Tin Can Customs Command made a seizure of two containers of unwholesome importations comprising of 01x40ft container of regulated unregistered pharmaceutical products; in addition to 1x40ft container of illicit psychotropic substances.

He said the seized the containers comprised of 3 plastic drums used to conceal several packets of Cannabis Indica, 46bags containing 2,144 packets of Cannabis Indica all weighing 1,072kilogrammes (kg).

He said while the 1x40ft Container with No. GAOU 669921/5  is from Canada while the second container is from Ghana, he said the estimated street value of the illicit substances is N3, 216,000,000.00 (Three Billion Two Hundred Sixteen Million Naira Only).

While commending the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Dera Nnandi mni for a thorough and diligent job, he said the NCS will continue to work closely with relevant national and international agencies to conduct operations that lead to the interception of illegal goods and the disruption of criminal networks.

Adeniyi assured that while the Service will not relent in carrying out its duty of revenue generation, he emphasized that along with sister agencies, the NCS will continue to pay attention to the health of Nigerians by ensuring that there is no let up on the guard against harmful trafficking in illicit substances and narcotics.

Concerned about the ugly trend in the trafficking in illegal drugs, Adeniyi said: “We will recall that in recent months, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported a number of successfully executed interceptions and seizures of illicit drugs, arms and ammunition, illegal wildlife and petroleum products at various locations, representing a concerted effort to prevent illegal entry and exit in and out of the country through diverse routes and means of conveyances.

“These interceptions have brought to light a concerning trend wherein criminal networks engage in collaborative attempts to subvert the competency of the agencies tasked with mitigating the trafficking of such illicit substances.

“The misuse and abuse of drugs, particularly Cannabis Indica and codeine,pose severe dangers to our society. Codeine, a restricted drug in Nigeria, has been widely abused, leading to devastating effects on our youth. This substance not only impairs the health and well-being of individuals but also contributes to the rise in criminal activities. Cannabis Sativa, similarly, has become a significant concern, with its abuse leading to mental health issues, addiction, and social problems. Unchecked activities involving restricted items serve multiple purposes for criminal elements.

“These drugs, for instance, are used as stimulants by criminals, further fuelling societal unrest and instability. Additionally, non-state actors, posing a significant threat to our national security and economic stability. The Nigerian government under the President Bola Ahmed led Administration is determined to stabilize the economy and create an environment where all citizens can thrive and prosper.

“As part of these efforts, the NCS plays a crucial role not only in revenue collection from legitimate trade but also in the protection of our society. Our mandate includes ensuring that harmful and illegal substances do not find their way into our communities.”

While disclosing the discovery of a syndicate working through the system to subvert government effort in maintaining a safe atmosphere, he pointedly accused bad eggs within the NCS, terminals and clearing agents of efforts to thwart a drug free society by engaging in the movement of suspicious containers.

He said, “However beyond these assurance, what we have seen reinforces some ongoing attempts by some criminal elements using the network of customs agents, Nigeria customs officers, terminal operators to undermine our system. We have seen, recently, a growing number of containers that were either not examined in the port before they are released or those that were stemmed down into terminals, they left the ports on transpire, but they never got to those terminals and some of them found their ways into the premises of the importers for whatever nefarious activities or the other.

“This amounts to where our processes and our procedures are deliberately compromised for their selfish interests. We are looking beyond the facts of revenue lost, we are looking at situations like this if these kinds of drugs have found their ways out of the ports and into the hands of criminal elements, the kind of danger it poses to national security.

“We have gone very far in identifying those elements within the service and outside the service, and we will not spare any of them. We will not spare the customs officers involved, we will not spare the terminal operators, we will not spare those bonded warehouses that uses their facilities as sanctuaries for this kind of illegitimate business.”

Giving a further breakdown of the drugs into 46 bags of Cannabis Indica and 2,144 packets of Cannabis Indica all weighing 1,072kilogrammes (kg), with 877 packs cartons of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine.

The unauthprozed pharmaceuticals includes 200 bottles of 100ml per carton and 82 cartons of Really Extra Diclofenac Sodium 50mg tablets – 600 packs per carton; imported from India.

The customs helmsman acknowledged the collaborative efforts of sister agencies in the current fight against drug trafficking.

“It is within this context that the ongoing collaborative efforts between the NCS and the Nigeria Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have consistently yielded positive results. Recall that in the past, I have reiterated that the collaborative synergy between NCS and its partner agencies exemplifies the effectiveness of pooling resources and intelligence, reinforcing the commitment of our agencies to safeguarding the nation’s borders and protecting its citizens from the threats posed by smuggling.”