The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, thwarted 70 contrabands worth N8.9bn in July.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday by Customs Area Controller Kola Oladeji, who displayed the illicit drugs in Lagos.
“Within the period under review, we made 70 seizures with a total duty paid value of N8.09bn that was intercepted,” the Customs officer stated.
“Within the period under review, we made 70 seizures with a total duty paid value of N8.09bn that was intercepted,” he stated.
Giving a breakdown of the seizures, Oladeji revealed that 6,168 donkey skins weighing 29.606 km were collected.
“Others include 37,630 sachets of tramadol of 250 mg, 11,820 pieces of new machetes, 4,740 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 978 kg of cannabis sativa, 1,145 cartons of poultry products, 15 units of imported vehicles, 257 bales of used clothes, and 11,700 litres of premium motor spirit,” he said.
He noted that N133 million was recovered through documentary verification and the filing of demand notices on short-paid consignments.
Oladeji stated that the entire sum has been paid into the appropriate federation account.
“Comparing the month of July 2023 with July 2024, the revenue generated increased by N96bn, or 245 percent,” he said.
The FOU chairman revealed that the unit’s interceptions increased from 50 in July 2023 to 70 in July 2024, with a duty-paid value of N7.63 billion.
He noted that 14 male suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures throughout the review period.
Oladeji stated that, while the Federal Government was committed to assuring the supply of premium motor spirit, often known as petrol, to Nigerians, certain smugglers were determined to transport the items to other nations for their own advantage.
He stated that the unit disposed of the 11,700 litres of PMS via open auctions due to the product’s volatility following approval.
“The proceeds realised from the auctions had been paid into the federation account accordingly,” he disclosed.
The FOU Zone A leader said that the unit had discovered a new means of distributing those illegal narcotics.
“The smugglers are now using smaller vehicles for the distribution. Based on credible intelligence, we have intercepted 35,630 sachets of tramadol along the Lagos/Ibadan Motorway.
“Also, the cannabis sativa was intercepted along the same motorway,” Oladeji stated.
The Customs boss further stated that the unit would hand over the recovered cannabis sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further action in accordance with existing legislation and in the spirit of interagency cooperation.
