The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 576kg of drugs concealed inside 10 containers of food items that were destined for South Africa, but transiting through the APM terminals in Apapa.
The customs said the containers were intercepted based on intelligence report received from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). One person has also been apprehended in connection with the seizure.
The drugs; Ephedrine and Amphetamine were loaded inside 17 jerry cans and distributed into 10 containers carrying foodstuff including such as gari, beans and cartons of indomie noodles.
On examination, one of the containers with number PCIU10548616 was discovered with the harmful drugs.
Zonal Coordinator, Zone 'A' of Customs, Compt Charles Edike was at the examination area of the APMT yesterday to inspect the seized drugs as part of his working visit to all commands under his zone.
Even though he could not give the street value of the drugs, Edike disclosed that the drugs were detected as a result of synergy between Customs and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He assured that customs have so far examined three out of the 10 containers properly and out of the three, drugs were found in one. He assured that investigations into the remaining seven containers are on-going.
The zonal coordinator attributed the synergy playing out between the Customs and NDLEA to the recent visit of the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to all relevant agencies and the call on them to work together.
The customs boss also assured that the containers will be handed over to the NDLEA in a manner approved by the board of the customs.
"Among the foodstuffs, 17 jerry cans were hidden inside containing white substances, they were concealed, but immediately, with their expertise officers were able to suspect that they were hard drugs"
"We will continue with the examination because as of now it is inconclusive, we still have seven containers to examine, by the time we finish, we will know if there were drugs in them"
"For us in customs we don't work alone, we work with partner-agencies. The command has in the past handed over containers seized to relevant agencies in the port", he stated.
Edike appreciated NDLEA for supplying intelligence on the containers to the customs and for its officials cooperating with customs.
"There was an arrest, things like this there must be defendants, somebody drove it to the port, it is not an abandoned container, it belongs to a shipping company, a truck brought it to the port, so there is enough lead to arrest and the defendant is at hand".
Also speaking on the seizure, Commander of Apapa Special Area Command of NDLEA; Mrs Titus Awogbuyi Joyce said one person has been arrested in connection with the seizure and investigation is still on-going
She said that this is enough lead for the agency to go after the shipping company and the syndicate behind the export.
"We have one arrest for now, he will give us further leads into the syndicate, investigation is still on-going"
"Our own is to arrest and prosecute, the onus is on the judiciary to apportion punishment as appropriate, so if the judge deems it right to give life imprisonment, so be it", she told journalsits.
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