Customs Intercept N242m Worth Of Prohibited Drugs In Lagos

 

THE  Federal Operations Unit, FOU, of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS yesterday intercepted a total of 5, 056 cartons of drugs valued at over N242.7 million.

Disclosing this to newsmen, Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hammed Ali, (Rtd) said that the drugs are under complete prohibition adding that most people take them without doctors’ prescription.

Ali also disclosed that the drugs were without the registered number of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.

Already, two suspects; George Odianose Eboigbe, the owner and Mr. Clement Okoeka the driver of the truck have been arrested in connection with the offensive import.

The Customs boss explained that the agency has put three layers of defence measures in place so as to checkmate the influx of such offensive imports.

The drugs, Tramadol Hydrochloride according to the CG is taken by young and women to ease stress.

He said “They are dangerous drugs, they are what our youths and mostly our women too are using to relieve stress.

“They are not drugs meant for consumption, they are completely under prohibition but these things still find their way into the country.

“And this why we always say when people say Customs officers are disturbing them on the road, we cannot but do what we are doing.’’

He however vowed to fish the culprits and make them face the law.

Meantime, the CG also yesterday appealed to the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to shelve its plan to shut down the ports.

Ali stated this  when he visited the national secretariat of ANLCA in Festac Town area of Lagos.

The Customs boss, who arrived at the ANLCA secretariat to kick-start his meeting with freight forwarding associations also appealed to the association to shelve the 21 days strike notice which it had issued last week to the Federal government, over extortion of its members at the port.

Source: Vanguard