Emmanuel Ochayi
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, has made a seizure of contraband goods worth over N3 billion in the North-West and North-Central zones.
The seized items include 58,750 sachets of tramadol and 48,000 ampules of analgin injection, which were being conveyed to bandits at Saminaka Forest in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Comptroller Bello, the head of the unit, revealed that the Customs operatives acted on intelligence to intercept a truck carrying 750 sacks of donkey bones and meat, with a combined duty-paid value of over N3 billion. The tramadol sachets were concealed inside the truck with motor spare parts to evade detection.
The comptroller expressed concern that donkeys are being driven to extinction by unscrupulous elements and emphasized that the service will not allow the illegal trade to thrive. He also announced that the seized illicit drugs were meant to be conveyed to terrorists at the Saminaka Forest before being intercepted.
Other seized items include 12 vehicles, 174 bags of foreign rice, 234 jerry cans of PMS, 109 bales of second-hand clothing, 367 cartons of Spaghetti, 50 cartons of Macaroni, and 47 jerry cans of foreign vegetable oil. Three suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.
The comptroller commended the efforts of the Customs operatives and urged them to continue their good work in protecting the country’s economy and security.
