NCS Marine Command intercepts contraband valued N15.3m

The Western Marine Command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos, has intercepted contraband consisting of rice, clothes and frozen chicken valued N15.37 million.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Sarkin Kebbi, made this disclosure to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the contraband are: 400 bags of rice, 138 bales of clothes and 474 cartons of frozen chicken, recovered from smugglers.

NAN also reports that the seized poultry products were burnt and buried while the remaining contraband were taken to the command’s warehouse.

Kebbi said that officers of the command would continue to make life unbearable for the smugglers.

The controller, who expressed regret that no arrest was made, pointed out that the smugglers disappeared into the waters on sighting the officers.

“This time around, the seizures were made at two different places.

“The bales of clothes, rubber sandals and frozen chicken, were seized at Ilufe Ojo Alaba by the joint patrol team officers on Thursday July 6.

“For the rice, the seizure took place at Tungeji Ijofin Creek along Nigeria-Republic of Benin axis on Tuesday July 11,’’ he said.

According to him, the command was able to achieve the feat with the support extended to it by the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali’s management team.

He implored stakeholders and the public to assist the command with useful information that would aid them in their job.

Kebbi warned smugglers to stay away from the nation’s waterways, as officers of the command had zero tolerance for nefarious activities.