Despite border closure, smugglers dare customs, attempts to smuggle cannabis

By Dapo Olawuni

Despite the joint military exercise ongoing at the Seme Border, smugglers have attempted to push hard drugs, specifically, Cannabis Sativa into Nigeria through the Seme borders.

In a press statement issued yesterday by the Public Relations Officer of Seme border command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nura Abdullahi, the command said it intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number ENU 962 ZK, belonging to G- Express Company used to conceal the Cannabis sativa.

The Customs explained that the drugs was coming from Ghana.
Upon careful examination at the baggage inward hall, the vehicle was discovered to contain five (5) parcels of items suspected to be cannabis sativa.

The press statement also reads that the Command Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba has stated that the efforts of the enforcement unit of the Command with regard to suppression of smuggling is yielding remarkable results.

He declared that within the last 2 weeks of August 2019, the command has arrested various offensive items worth forty N40million naira:

The various contraband’s are 875 by 50kg of Foreign parboiled rice with DPV of N15,023,750, 12 by 25litres of vegetable oil with DPV of N131,625.90, 6 by 50kg of refined sugar with DPV of N147,640.50, 535 bales of used clothes with DPV of N17,259,769, 20 parcels of cannabis sativa with street value worth of N516,180, 269 baskets of fresh tomatoes, 1basket of fresh peppers, 7 sacks of cucumber and pineapples, and 16baskets of fresh okro (all perishable products coming from Benin Rep. which were earnestly auctioned off) with DPV of N367,471.

Also seized are 16 sacks of used shoes, belt and ladies bag with DPV of N541,989, 57 pieces of textile wrappers with DPV of N367,778, 65 cartons of poultry products with DPV of N948,333.75, 137 by 25 liter jerry cans of PMS with DPV of N287,700, 16 buckets of car paint with DPV of N144,530.40, 11 cartons of Galvanized nails with DPV of N99,364.65, 2566 pieces of currency (in coins) and other foreign currencies.

Other seized items are 7 cartons of condensed milk with DPV of N78,534.75, 4 carton of spaghetti noodles with DPV of N15,678.97, 2 cartons of tinned tomato with DPV of N14,589, 2 sacks of coconuts with DPV of N38,714, 4 cartons of body cream, 1bag of detergent soap with DPV of N58,913, 20 pieces of sand paper with DPV of N12,778.50, 4 television sets, 2 pieces of television stands with DPV of N187,115.25, 4 cartons of fuel filter with DPV of N11,669, 1carton of motor spare parts with DPV of N134,631 and 2 pieces of gas burner with DPV of N2,137.

Meanwhile, the bus driver, bus boy and the cargo handler of the Toyota Hiace bus (worth N2,907,450) used in concealing the parcels of cannabis were all promptly arrested, detained and handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further prosecution.

While highlighting the importance of making seizures with suspects, Uba added that the right signal must continue to be sent in order to discourage other people from indulging in the despicable act of smuggling.

While promising that the Nigeria Customs Service will continue to compliment the efforts of the NDLEA in its fight to rid the nation of the illicit substances, he reiterated the command’s commitment to the strict implementation of the Federal Government fiscal policies and the extant laws that govern the day to day operation of the service at the international corridor.