Customs intercepts containers full of fake drugs worth over N31m

Three containers full of fake drugs, cables and other contraband worth over N356 million have been intercepted and seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) following intelligence report.

Area Controller Mohammed Uba Garba while addressing newsmen on the issue, said the items were shipped into the country in a 40ft container, numbered MSK U 8751322 and two 20feet containers, numbered MSKU144709/0 and MRKU 738266..

He said the fake drugs: Acipep, Lemdafil and Ciprogyl, which were seized by officers of Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ in Ikeja, have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) over N31million, wondering why the importers, now at large, would wanted to destroy the health of Nigerians with their illicit trade and love for money.

Garba said as no less than fourteen containers, have been seized by the unit for false declaration and breach of Customs law, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N104,684,023.7 as their bid to intensify operational modalities improves.

He 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.”

He said the seized items, findings showed, 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, among others.

The items, Garba said, were seized by the unit between August 29 and October 3.

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

“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,” he added.

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