The sustained war against illegal trade generally by the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service and particularly the Seme Command and of the Service has continued to yield fruits.
The Customs Area Controller of the Command Comptroller Dera Nnadi in a press briefing at the Command’s premises on Wednesday detailed some of the most recent seizures made by the Command. The CAC noted that while his men were conducting stop and search operations along Abidjan Lagos Corridor they intercepted a truck with registration number GL 6663 GH belonging to one of the major conglomerates and concealed with some cartons of pharmaceutical products.
The items found in the truck include i.MORPHINE SULFATE 100ml x 1076 bottles
ii.AMODIAQUINE SUSPENSION 60ml x 94 bottles
iii.VERMOX 500mg x 2970 packages x 1 sachet x 1 tablet.
iv.MEPACRINE TABLETS 100mg x 390 packets x 1000 tablets
v.CLOFENAC SR 100mg x 298 packets x 10 sachets x 10 tablets
vi.LOSARTAIL POTASSIUM 50mg x 1485 packages x 2 sachets x 28 tablets
vii.VIREST 400 ACICLOVIR tablets. B.P 400mg x 499 packages x 5 sachets x 5 tablets.
The seized unregistered pharmaceutical products have a Duty Paid Value of Twenty-Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Eight Naira (N27, 861, 538.00) only.
The reasons for the seizure include the fact that the items “Contravened both the Nigeria Customs Service banning of the importation of pharmaceutical products through the land border without approval and further contravening NAFDAC laws as they do not have NAFDAC registration numbers. Furthermore, five out of the seven seized pharmaceutical products have expired”.
The CAC said “Upon my resumption as the Area Controller, I pledged to adopt new strategies that could boost trade while enforcing the nation’s anti-smuggling laws along Abidjan Lagos Corridor (ALCO) in line with the ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of goods and persons”. He continues to warn those trying to test their resolve with illegal trade that they shall always meet their waterloo.
Comptroller Nnadi also added that “On the 21st of April, 2023, the officers of the Command on a routine patrol along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor intercepted a Ford Bus conveying Seven (7) large sacks containing five hundred and fifty-three (553) parcels and four suspects were also arrested in connection with the seizure and that in consonance with the directive from the Controller General of Customs the seized items and two (2) suspects were to be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
“To this end, the 553 parcels of Cannabis Sativa and two (2) suspects are today being handed over to the NDLEA. Two (2) other suspects had earlier been handed over to the sister security agency for necessary action”.
Comptroller Nnadi praised the good support that the Command enjoys from the CGC, Col. Hameed Ali, the tireless efforts of the officers of the Command and the professional inputs of the media in their quest to bring illegal trade to the barest minimum.
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