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FOU records N85million seizures
.Intercepts drugs, foreign rice conceals with animal feed
By Udeme Clement
The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted pharmaceutical products without NAFDAC registration number and foreign smuggled rice worth N85million in just three weeks.
The Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Unit, Comptroller Muhammed Aliyu made this disclosure.
He further revealed that the Unit also seized 4,208 bags of foreign rice concealed with animal feed, tubers of cassava and even bottles of beer, with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N55.3million.
Comptroller Aliyu who frowned at the activities of economic saboteurs, displayed a truck loaded with 210 bags of foreign rice but concealed with soap by smugglers in deliberate attempt to escape security checks.
The CAC said, “Look at the manner of concealment and the extent people can go to bring banned items into the country. The truck you are looking at contains 210 bags of smuggled rice but concealed with soap. The animal feed and other substances used in concealing the rice are capable of poisoning it”.
He went on, “The seized drugs have no NAFDAC registration number. These include 279 cartons of Dihydrocodeine; 744 packs of kenalog 40mg injection; 300 cartons of Lansoptazol; 560 sachets of Clopidogre; 1,764 contiflo; 320 sachets of meloxicam; 3888 sachets of bisoprolol fumarate; 300 bottles of Lactulose; 600 sachets of Atorastattin; 2,000 bottles of mandanol nasal drop, as well as 10,800 sachets of Furossamide”.
Comptroller Aliyu stressed that the trucks with the items are seizures, as the trucks were used as means of conveyance.
He called on companies to put tracking device in their vehicles, in order to monitor the drivers using such vehicles to carry banned items.
His assertion, “The on-going joint security operation at the land borders ‘Exercise Swift Response’ is making it difficult for smugglers to bring it foreign rice. So, they are moving the ones already stored in villages within the country”.
The CAC said operatives of FOU Zone ‘A’ are alert 24 hours to thwart illicit trade in its area of coverage.
