Western Marine customs seizes contraband worth N23 million in 2 weeks

Segun Oladipupo

The Western Marine command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it made a seizure of different items worth over N23 million within two weeks.

The command stated the seizures were made within two weeks of assumption of office of the new controller, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters.

The seizures were said to have been made at Bera Creek in Ado-Odo in Ogun state, Badagry waterways, Yekene waterways, T-junction at Badagry among other locations.

Among the items seized include; Frozen turkey, foreign parboiled rice and bales of wax cloths.

Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, the new Controller of the command while conducting newsmen around the seizures said, “We want to make it clear to these economic saboteurs and their accomplices that Customs will continue to hit hard on smugglers”.

Recall that Comptroller Peters resumed at the command two weeks ago as the new Controller of the amphibian arm of Customs.

Speaking further, he said, “There’s something that’s very clear, no matter where you pass, already there is border drill and we have the power according to CEMA that any consignment illegally imported is liable to forfeiture.

“Within my two weeks of stay here, we have been able to arrest 466 bags of 50kg parboiled rice and 272 cartons of frozen turkey which we have just destroyed,” he said.

He added that the command would engage community leaders to rid the waterways of smuggled items.

He also stated that the command would heighten its intelligence gathering to be able to be ahead of the antics of the dare devil smugglers.