The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded 576 kilograms of narcotics concealed with food items that were destined for South Africa, but intercepted at APM terminal Apapa.
The Acting Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone ‘A’, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG) Charles Edike, revealed this on a recent visit to the Command. He said that the discovery was as a result of intelligence reports about the container the Customs received from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“NDLEA gave Customs the intelligence for 10 containers and immediately the officers arranged and the containers were brought down. Among the foodstuffs, 17 jerry cans were hidden inside containing white substances, they were concealed, but 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 disclosed.
The drugs were Ephedrine and Amphetamine were loaded inside 17 jerry cans and distributed into 10 containers carrying foodstuff including such as garri, beans and cartons of indomie noodles. On examination, one of the containers with number PCIU10548616 was discovered with the harmful drugs.
He also revealed that one person had been apprehended in connection with the seizure and assured that the containers will be handed over to the NDLEA in a manner approved by the Board of the Customs.
The Zonal Coordinator attributed the seamless synergy between the Customs and NDLEA to the recent visit of the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) to all relevant agencies and the plea for the agencies to work hand in hand.
