The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, on Wednesday announced that its operatives have intercepted four 40-foot containers of illicit drugs valued at N1.18 billion about yo be smuggle into the country.
Making the disclosure in a statement, Usman Abubakar, the command’s spokesman gave the breakdown of the drugs intercepted from two terminals of the command as including 236,783 cough syrup containing codeine and Barcadin Cough Syrup, packed in 2,174 cartons.
Babatunde Olomu, the Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, attributed the seizures to the service’s zero tolerance for smuggling.
“On the 11th of October 2024, our officers, during a joint examination of a 40ft container with registration number MRKU0377493, discovered prohibited CSP cough syrup in 34,800 bottles. The illegal importation was also found to have expired. The smugglers had packed them in 174 cartons, with 200 bottles per carton,” Olomu added.
According to him, during another examination at the same terminal on the same day, a 40ft container with registration number TGBU8886020 was found to contain 39,700 bottles of DSP cough syrup, packed with 100 bottles per carton.
Furthermore, he said, another 40ft container with registration number TCKU6800526, which had been dropped at APMT Container Terminal and was declared to contain essential goods, was examined on Tuesday but was found to conceal 19 cartons of CSJ cough syrup for the throat and chest, containing codeine, packed in 200 bottles per carton.
“At Kachicares Resources Terminal, a 40ft container with registration number SUDU8579006, declared to contain kitchen wares, was examined on Tuesday and found to conceal Barcadin cough syrup for throat and chest, with 100ml bottles,” Olomu said, adding that they were packed in 1,584 cartons, along with an additional 83 loose bottles.
He insisted that there would be no compromise in its revenue collection and anti-smuggling responsibilities, warning those engaged in unlawful trade to steer keep off Apapa Port.
