There are indications that last week’s interception of containers of raw materials stuffed with substances suspected to be cocaine at the Tin Can Island port in Lagos was the handiwork of a foreign company that was outsourced by Nigerite.
Shipping Position Daily learnt that the outsourcing company that was contracted by Nigerite also contracted an agent in Nigeria to handle the clearance of the 17 containers from the ports.
The Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had last week intercepted and handed over 200 packs of substances suspected to be cocaine to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, at a news conference last Thursday, the Customs Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Port, Comptroller Yusuf Bashar, told newsmen that the command intercepted the container after it got an intelligence report.
But, last weekend, the Shippers’ Association of Lagos State advised manufacturers and other local industrialists to be cautious in outsourcing clearance of cargoes at the ports, following the recent interception of a container of raw materials found to contain “Cocaine’’’
The president of the association; Mr Jonathan Nicol, gave the advice in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos on Friday.
Saying that the development is unpalatable, Nicol said Nigerite had no previous records of sharp practices.
“As far as we are concerned, Nigerite is a very reputable multinational company and has never been involved in any insolvency in the years when they were directly handling their imports.
“We are informed that this particular shipment was handled by an outsourcing company, which raised the Form `M’ and sourced for funds, bought the materials and shipped, the shipper said.
Confirming the involvement of the outsourcing company, whose identity could not be unravelled as at press time, Nicol confirmed that the outsourcing company then contracted an agent in Nigeria to handle the clearance of the 17 containers from the ports.
“The outsourcing company had access to the consignments and containers during loading and repackaging at their own warehouses abroad.
“Something strange must have gone wrong somewhere.
“This is one of the results of the unseen hazards that the Shippers Association Lagos State has announced some time ago of unscrupulous outsourcing arrangements by foreigners.
“Shippers’ Association deeply regrets this unpleasant experience Nigerite has found itself.
“We have consistently warned that our members should be careful how they contract agents in the maritime community”, Nicol said.
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