Navy arrests 12 suspected smugglers, impound boats, contraband goods

THE Nigerian Navy of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have arrested 12 suspected smugglers; seized a large wooden boat including a fibre boat; three outboard engines; three pumping machines.

Other items seized by the Command included assorted food items, 43 bags of foreign rice, and 579 empty drums.

The Commanding Officer, FOB, Captain Yusuf Idris, said in Ibaka on Thursday that the 579 empty drums induced navy to inquire what the suspects wanted to do with the items. He added that on the process he asked his men to commence counting to ascertain if the drums were actually 579.

He noted that after navy had counted and ransacked many sections of the wooden boat, it was in the large compartment that it discovered 43 bags of contraband rice. Idris stated that all the suspects had confessed to having brought the items from Cameroon.

He said, “This afternoon, we are here again to handover boat, a large wooden boat that was seized on Wednesday by my men on patrol about 13:30hrs. The boat has 12 suspects on board with 579 empty drums. And that actually gave us a sort of concern to further check inside because when asked, the suspects told us that they were only carrying empty drums. I was wondering where could they be going with such a number of empty drums.

“We started counting and on the process, ransacked everywhere in the boat and, in one of the compartments, 43 bags of foreign rice was discovered hidden, 27 of it is 50kg while 16 is 25kg.

“All the suspects confessed to have brought the rice from the Republic of Cameroon. So, we will be handing them over to Nigeria Customs Service for further investigation, prosecution and possible conviction.

“This issue has to be viewed with all seriousness. I cannot even count the number of times that we have handed over rice that had been smuggled or suspected to be smuggled from the Republic of Cameroon and as well some bunkering drums of fuel into the country.

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“Under our watch and indeed the current leadership of the Nigerian Navy, we are equipped, motivated, empowered to do all that is legally possible to stop this evil of smuggling of rice and any other contrabands to Nigeria through Nigerian waters. This is our resolve and we shall do just this.”

He advised perpetrators to desist from the smuggling of contraband goods into the country, adding that the Nigerian Navy will not be deterred, relented in arresting them.

The Customs Assistant Comptroller, Eastern Marine Command Ali Garko, thanked the Nigerian Navy for its unwavering support in fighting to smuggle within the Nigerian waters.