Customs Intercept Contrabands Worth N13.5bn At Onne Port

The Area 2 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 20 containers loaded with illicit drugs and different outlawed products with N13,573,430,630:00 marketplace worth astatine the Onne Port successful Rivers State.

While 17 of the containers were loaded with codeine syrup and tramadol, the remaining 3 had contraband products specified arsenic machetes, cartons of herb pasta and gallons of rootlike oil.

Briefing journalists connected the improvement astatine Onne connected Wednesday, outgoing Customs Area Controller, Mohammed Babandede said the illicit drugs were imported from India, with Nigerian marketplace arsenic their target.

“The Command successfully intercepted a full of 20 containers, with a combined Duty Paid Value of Thirteen Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Dour Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Six Hundred set Thirty Naira.

“These medicines were imported from India, targeted astatine the Nigerian market. While being calculative astatine evading regulatory scrutiny, the drugs were cautiously smuggled utilizing the tactics of concealing them nether the guise of regular imports,” helium said.

Babandede, who was precocious promoted to the fertile of Assistant Controller-General of Customs, said Nigeria has agelong struggled with the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medications, which airs a important hazard to nationalist health, including perchance fatal outcomes.

He noted that, “Some radical instrumentality illicit medicines for antithetic reasons without a nonrecreational aesculapian prescription. For example, codeine syrup and tramadol mightiness beryllium misused for their euphoric effect oregon to consciousness relaxed, which often leads to addiction, dependence and crime.”

In bid to support nationalist wellness and combat cause trafficking, helium said the Nigerian authorities has banned the importation of definite medications, including counterfeit drugs and substances similar codeine and tramadol.

“Those measurement aims to guarantee harmless medicines, tackle fake drugs issues and trim cause addiction, which poses superior wellness and information challenges,” helium said.