5 arrested for breaking into customs warehouse
Operatives of the Area two Command, Onne, of the Nigeria Customs Service have arrested five persons for allegedly breaking into customs warehouse to remove illicit drugs intercepted from smugglers.
The suspects whose names were not disclosed to the media had allegedly loaded the consignments into two vehicles before they were arrested by the custom officers who had been on their trail.
The Customs Area Controller, Area ii Command, Onne, Port Harcourt Rivers State, Comptroller Aliyu Galadima, who confirmed the arrest said that the suspects who had been on the watch list of the service, had approached some officers of the command with the intention of bribing them.
Galadima said that the officers unturned informed him of the intemtion of the suspects who are members of a syndicate.
He said that he urged the officers to play along with the suspects based the n receipt of the information from.
He explained that on July 30, 2019, at about 10.room, the
suspects, having gotten a go ahead order from the decoy customs officer went ahead to carry out their plans.
"On the said date the suspects went ahead to break into a 1x 40ft seized container. They loaded 14 cartons comprising 50 packs per carton and 49 extra packs of cols time tablets, four cartons consisting of 22 packets per carton and 10 extra packets of Real Extra Analgestic, two carton and 10 packs of Really Extra-analgesic and anti-inflammative tablets and Two (2) cartons - (60 packets per carton) of Tramadol Tablets imto two vehicles.
"My men stop down on the crooks before they could drive off with the stolen items two vehicles - Mercedez Benz Jeep with registration number: EPE 828 AR (M/Benz) and Toyota Camry with registration number : EKY 159 BD used for the operation were impounded" he added.
The Comptroller revealed that an interim committee was immediately set up to investigate the incident, involving the five suspects and the vehicles detained as at then.
"An exhibit of one million naira (#1,000,000) was recovered from an Officer who was instructed to play -along with the suspects in order to get to the architect of the conspiracy. The five suspects have been transferred to the court for prosecution.
"It is regrettable to note that while the Nigeria Customs Service is working round the clock to free this country of illicit goods, some recalcitrant and unpatriotic citizens are not relenting in their desperate urge to sabotage our efforts by spreading harmful drugs.
The Nigeria Customs is poised to leaving no stone un-turned at ensuring that these perpetrators know no sleep as long as they refuse to give up. However, the Command advises them to desist as crime pays not" he said.