The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, says it has recorded 43 seizures of smuggled goods worth over 3.15 billion naira within 15 days.
The Acting Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Abdulhamid Ibrahim, disclosed this during his maiden press briefing in Idiroko, Ogun State.
He said the seizures included foreign rice, pasta, cannabis, unregistered drugs, used vehicles and other prohibited goods.
Ibrahim also revealed that Customs officers intercepted three trucks carrying foreign pasta and condensed milk on October 2, while another truck conveying 100 bags of foreign rice hidden under mica and gypsum stones was intercepted along the Afamin-Dangote-Itori axis on October 4.
The Customs boss added that officers intercepted another truck on October 11 containing 27,831 assorted unregistered drugs and 321 military camouflage face caps.
He said five trucks valued at about 1.235 billion naira would be forfeited to the Federal Government in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
Ibrahim warned smugglers to stay away from the command’s area of operation, adding that the service would continue to work with other security agencies to protect public health, national security and local businesses.
Meanwhile, The Idiroko Special Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) ,Commander Akande Olasunbo Oluwafemi said the seizure of codeine-based drugs was important to prevent drug abuse among young people. The agency also said the discovery of military camouflage caps and other items raised security concerns, adding that the operation would help cut off supplies to people involved in criminal activities.
The NDLEA assured the public that security agencies, including Customs, Immigration and other security services, would continue to work together to prevent the movement of illegal goods across the borders. It added that investigations and prosecution procedures would continue, while efforts were being made to obtain approval for the public destruction of some seized drugs.
