The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has disclosed the seizure of illicit drugs and military camouflage worth N31.2 billion by the Area 2 Command of the Service, Onne Port, in Rivers State.
This was disclosed by the Comptroller General of the NCS, Mr. Bashir Adeniyi, Wednesday, at the Onne Sea Port in Eleme, while displaying the seized illegally smuggled goods in 12 40-foot containers.
According to Adeniyi, the seizures were made in strict compliance with customs laws, particularly concerning concealment, false declaration, and the importation of prohibited items.
Adeniyi, who expressed delight that trade facilitation was getting traction in Onne, said the repeated incidence of smuggling of illicit goods through the Port, was of grave concern to the nation’s security.
He recalled that the policy thrust of President Bola Tinubu supported the re-energising of the business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow the capacity for exports.
The CGC explained that customs emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to trade facilitation and economic development, expressing regret that criminal clements in the international supply chain are exploiting the nation’s pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches.
He, however, regretted that a few months after declaring a state of emergency in Onne Port, the area command had seized another huge consignment of illegal drugs and other goods.
Noting that the Onne Port was increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, Adeniyi stressed that, “The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens.”
