Apapa Customs Seizes Seven Containers Of Cutlasses, Expired Drugs, Others Worth N292.2 Million
By Sulaimon Salau
The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has intercepted seven containers of contrabands including cutlass, expired drugs and some frozen chicken among others.
Parading the contrabands at the Apapa Port complex today (Friday), the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Babatunde Olomu, said the items were worth about N292.2 million.
Olomu said “this type of importation is against schedule 3 of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff (CET) and violates section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023”.
He said: “On Thursday, 17 July 2024, the command seized 2x40ft containers carrying 12,000 pieces of cutlass and machete; 2x40ft carrying 4,129 packages of frozen chicken; 1x40ft container carrying 368 jumbo bales of used second hand clothing; and 1x40ft container of expired pharmaceutical,”
Olomu said the cutlass and matches were imported from China, the expired drugs from India and the frozen chicken were from Turkiye
He said the seizures were made following a combination of intelligence and diligent enforcement in ensuring that no consignment exits Apapa Port or any terminal under the command without undergoing proper examination.
He reiterated that the Apapa command would continually sustain and improve on trade facilitation and maximum revenue collection without compromising the enforcement of the extant laws as they pertain to false declaration, concealment, under declaration and under valuation.
“We are also enforcing the requirements for sister regulatory agencies like National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in the case of food and drugs and strict implementation of the end user certificate rules for products that require it from relevant authorities like the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA),” he stated.
He however warned against smuggling of prohibited items and restated that the command would keep ensuring that only consignments that meet the integrity test of compliance will be allowed to go through this port either as import or export cargoes.
He said the seizures would be handed over to the appropriate agencies for further investigation and regulatory action.
