Customs seize three containers of counterfeit drugs, vehicles, others

-Nigeria Customs Service has seized fake drugs and other contraband items.
-The importer of the goods are currently at large.

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, says it has intercepted three container loads of fake drugs, cables and other contraband goods all worth N356million in Lagos.

Naija News gathered that Officers of Federal Operation Unit (FOU) zone A in Ikeja, Lagos seized the drugs which includes: Acipep, Lemdafil and Ciprogyl.

The area controller of the unit, Mohammed Garba, disclosed that the items were imported into the country, adding that the importers are still on the run.

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He said the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the fake drugs worth over N31million, adding the unit seized fourteen containers with a DPV of N104,684,023.7 due to false declaration and violation of customs law.

Garba said, “After intensifying our operational modalities to meet up with the present smuggling tactics, we have intercepted contrabands with Duty Paid Value of over N356million.”

According to him, the items impounded between August 29 and October 3, include 11 used vehicles, 4,227 bags of imported rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, Indian hemp, medicaments, used tyres, scrap metals, bales of used clothing and shoes and a host of others.

“While seven containers carried unprocessed wood, one container carried scrap metals, another carried wet blue (leather) for export. All fall under export prohibition list.

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“Three of the seized containers were medicaments without import documents and certification. Two containers carried a purported made-in- Nigeria cables, but were imported from China. The importer declared the item as electric distribution board and ballast. Only God knows what would have happened if these fake products get into our market.

“Also, we have 17 vehicles of various models in detention. The vehicles were evacuated from car marts due to the infraction noticed in their document.

“As I speak with you, the owners have not provided customs papers in respect of some of the vehicles, but we have given them enough room to provide the documents. The vehicles under detention have a duty paid value of N141,877,496.15,” Garba said.