Customs Arrests Five for Stealing Seized Hard Drugs

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area II Command at Onne Port has arrested five persons who allegedly broke into its warehouse and stole seized hard drugs.

Comptroller of the command, Aliyu Galadima Saidu, disclosed this while parading the suspects at the command yesterday.

The suspects, he stated, broke and opened a 40-feet seized container comprising drugs constructively warehoused, and loaded same into two vehicles-Mercedes Benz SUV with registration number: EPE 828 AR, and a Toyota Camry with registration number: EKY 159 BD.

“Below is the breakdown of the items arrested with the suspects-14 cartons (50 packs per carton) and 49 extra packs of cols time tablets; four cartons (22 packets per carton) and 10 extra packets of Really Extraanalgesic; two cartons (60 packets per carton) of Tramadol tablets and one carton and 10 packets of Really Extra-analgesic and anti-inflammative tablets

“An interim committee was immediately set up to investigate the incident, while the five suspects and the vehicles were detained. Also, an exhibit of N1,000,000 was recovered from an officer who was instructed to play along the deal in order to get to the architect of the conspiracy. The five suspects are been transferred to the court for prosecution,” he said.

The comptroller added: “It is regrettable to note that while the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) 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 therefore poised to leaving no stone unturned 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 does not pay.”