Customs intercepts smuggled items worth N628.3m in two months

THENigeria Customs Service ( NCS) Federal Operations Unit ( FOU) Zone ‘ B’ said it made 188 seizures of 17 different prohibited items worth N628.3 million at different locations in the zone between March and April this year.

The FOU Zone B comprises 10 states within the Northwest and North Central geopolitical zones, which include, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kogi, Kwara and Niger states.

Unit comptroller, Musa Ibrahim Jalo, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, said operatives of the unit intercepted one used Mitsubishi Canter with registration number AKR 10 XG, conveying sacks of Cannabis Sativa, also known as Marijuana, concealed with bags of cassava flakes ( Garri) and sawdust, along Bungudu- Tsafe Road in Zamfara State.

He said after a physical examination, the vehicle was found to contain 46 sacks of Marijuana, with a street value of N2 million.

Jalo said the unit also arrested a suspicious white illegal narcotic substance together with two male suspects and one locally made pistol in its anti- smuggling operations at the Maigatari axis of Jigawa State. He said the suspected illegal substance and the suspects were brought to the office for further action.

He said the unit further invited officials of the National Drug Law

Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) to carry out a test on the suspected substance to determine its true nature and the test proved it to be opium, with a total weight of 422 grams and a street value of N31 million.

He said the unit handed over the 46 sacks of marijuana, opium, locally made pistol, suspects and the means of conveyance to the NDLEA Kaduna State command for further investigation and action.

Jalo further said the operatives of the unit, in a stop and search operation, arrested one used Volkswagen Golf driven by a Nigerien citizen along Jibia- Katsina road that contained a sack filled with assorted military camouflage shirts, trousers and Tshirts.

He said after further investigation and interrogation, the uniforms, 22 pairs of foreign tactical military camouflage shirts and trousers as well as another 25 pieces of military camouflage T- shirts, were to be delivered to an unknown person in Katsina State.

Jalo said the seized items together with the suspect have been handed over to the Directorate of Security Services ( DSS) for further investigation and possible prosecution. Other items seized by the unit are 140 jerrycans ( 25 litres each) of Automotive Gas Oil ( Diesel) worth N2.7 million and 1, 147 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit ( 25 litres each) worth N2.1 million.