By Adaku Onyenucheya
The Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it seized hard drugs, machetes, arms and ammunition and 38 other contrabands worth N1.8 billion in 2022.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Olakunle Oloyede, who disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Lagos, said the command also seized Colarado (Cannabis Sativa) weighing 345.1kg with a street market value of N714, 600, 000, which was given by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); 2,594 pieces of ammunition and 20 pieces of arms comprising one pistol with 611090 (S/W) model JCP 40mm; one used Co2 air pistol with accessories cal 117(4.5m)BM; one marksman repeater pistol; six mace pepper gun and 10 suspected arms of various types.
He listed the other seizures to include 5 x 40 containers of used motor tyre (5,060 pieces), 1,150 bales of second hand clothing, 1,190 cartons of 20per cartons of potassium bromate and baking powder, 11,392 cartons of 1200 per carton Armcol injection chloroquine phosphate 322.5mg.5ml (IV and IM), 206,000 pieces of finished machetes and 1,383 cartons of 50 rolls per carton of cigarettes.
Oloyede said the seizures recorded were higher with 11 seizures worth N1.23 billion when compared to the 2021 record of 27 seizures worth N607 million.
He said the increase rate could be associated with increased surveillance and intensified anti-smuggling drive, high value of seized items and the naira-dollar depreciation, which leads to high exchange rate on imported items.
According to him, these prohibited items were seized and forfeited to the Federal Government in line with the provision of sections 46 and 161 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45 LFN 2004 and Absolute Prohibition List of CET 2022 – 2026.
He added that 60 suspects were detained in 2022 and were granted administrative bail while the command has eight cases pending in court.
The CAC also noted that the command collected a total of N574 billion in the period under review, which is 16.33 per cent increase compared to the N493 billion collected in 2021.
Speaking on export, Oloyede said the command recorded a significant increase of N242 billion ($589 million) Free On Board as against the N141 billion ($496 million) recorded in 2021 due to the high quality and value of the exported commodities.
He, however, noted that the export report shows a decrease in tonnage from 1,723,986.8 in 2021 to 336,179.5 in 2022, which could be connected to current government fiscal policy that prohibited the export of wood and wood products as well as the global unrests with its concomitant economic challenges.
According to him, the commodities exported include cocoa beans, insecticides, dried ginger, empty bottles, soya beans, cashew nuts, cigarettes, rubbers, cocoa butter, frozen shrimps, copper ingots, aluminum ingots, sesame seeds and other manufactured items.
Source: The Guardian