The CAC of the Apapa Command of the NCS, MI Yusuf addressing the media on the activities of his Command.
Story by Dili Utomi.
In the first quarter report of the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, over One Billion Naira worth of smuggled illegal medicaments amongst other items seized over the period were declared. Now, it is becoming a regular occurrence these days for the men of the Apapa Command of the NCS to detect and declare smuggled items especially the more harmful substances with the most notable of these smuggled medicaments being tramadol.
The trend has continued as the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Malanta I. Yusuf on Friday declared the seizure of a 20 foot container with reference number PCIU 0183241 which arrived from Singapore and filled with 150 cartons of tramadol tablets, but declared as ‘static converter and switches’. The container contained 69 cartons of 250mg Tramadol and 81 Cartons of 250Mg Tramadol and each of the cartons according to him, contains 72 rolls and each roll contains 10 packets and each packet contains 10 satchets and each satchet contains 10 tablets. The street value of the seized illegal medicaments was not immediately given, but there is a suspicion that it runs into billions of naira.
CAC Malanta Yusuf declaring the seized tramadol on Friday.
CAC Yusuf declared that the discovery was as a result of collaborative and credible intelligence which gave rise to the tracking, tracing and interception of the cargo right from the port of loading in Hong Kong to its destination at the Apapa Port.
Now, the smugglers seem to have determined to continue with their illicit trade, but the laser-focused officers of the Command with their assiduous boss have also become more resolute and are looking to be one step ahead of the smugglers, the seizures are testaments to this assertion.
At the question and answer session of the declaration of the seized drugs, Comptroller Yusuf had said that “The Command also intercepted another container with reference number TCKU7580597 transiting to Kano Inland Container Terminal laden with used clothing but manifested as Installation Fitting materials”.
The Apapa special Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Mr. Inalegwu Ameh at the press briefing had indicated that they also received a consignment of seized tramadol drugs a day earlier, but that the lot showcased on Friday was twice the amount earlier received. He added that the drug is illegal because medically, only 50mg is the legally acceptable amount of drug in each tablet.
The CAC despite his recent experience in a road mishap has continued to deal deathly blow to the pockets of smugglers as his resolve to engender legitimate trade has probably remained unshaken as is evidence with these seizures.
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