CAC Mohammed making the drugs hand over speech at the Classic Bonded Terminal yesterday (at their back is the container where the drugs were concealed).
Story by Dili Utomi.
It was a beehive of activities under the clear, sunshine day at the Classic Bonded Terminal Okota Lagos under the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The occasion was the hand over ceremony of the seized 20 cartons of Trapaking brand of Tramadol and capsules performed by the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Auwal B. Mohammed.The illicit drugs were concealed in 1×40 ft container
among cartons of Gummy pop and Big Bullet brand of sweets.
The CAC while handing over the seized items addressed the press thus “On the authority of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), I, Comptroller AB Mohammed, Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command do hereby handover 20 cartons of Tramadol concealed in 1x40ft Container No. ZCSU6737079 containing (838,500 pieces of “TRAPACKING Tablets of 225mg” and 90,010 pieces of “TRAPACKING Capsules of 120MG”) domiciled at Classic Bonded Terminal to the Commander of Narcotics, Udotong Noah Essien, Apapa Special Area Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further agency action”. The cargo was reportedly shipped in front India.
Mr. Udotong Essien left and CAC Mohammed right signing the hand over documents.
Apparently, the importers and their agents made false declaration as they declared that the container had “driving shaft and candy sweets” in it, but they have been said to be on the run after the illicit items were discovered. Comptroller Mohammed while briefing the press said that “The TIN number of the consignee has been blocked and the license of the agent has equally been blocked, we tried to trace them down to their addresses, but their addresses were found to be fake and they were not at the stated addresses. They are presently on the run, but the long arm of the law must catch up with them”.
It was revealed that on suspecting the contents of the container, a hundred percent cargo examination was conducted on the container and alas, the true contents of the container were discovered.
The Apapa Special Area Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Udotong Essien while receiving the seized items decried the public health implications of these illicit drugs being imported into the country and asks the general public to continue to aid the agencies with credible information in order to curb this illicit trade and drastically reduce the consumption of these harmful substances. He thanked the Nigeria Customs Service for their steadfastness and cooperation in the war against the importation and distribution of illicit drugs.
Documents were later signed and exchanged as the men of the NDLEA loaded the 20 cartons into their pickup trucks and drove off.
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