Nigerians give Customs a standing ovation for intercepting N550 million worth of illîcit dr¥gs and rejecting N50 million brib£ from a suspected sm¥ggler

The Nigeria Customs Service, Tincan Island Port Command, has impounded 2 by 40ft containers with Bill of lading No. 227578945 and 227898171 filled with unregistered Pharmaceutical products worth over the sum of Five Hundred and fifty million naira at the Sea Port in Lagos.

Speaking with Newsmen at the Command’s press briefing on 28th August 2023, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Kunle Oloyede, said his operatives exhibited a high level of professionalism in intercepting the illicit dr¥gs carefully concealed in the containers to evade justice with the intention by a suspect, Boniface Ike, to bribe the officers with N50 million.

Oloyede, said the seized products were imported from India by the suspect. The area controller, who explained that the suspect allegedly confessed to being the importer of the seized containers valued at N550.3 million, wanted to have a private discussion with an officer.

“I instructed my officers to play along; the request was granted in expectation of receiving vital information from the suspect, but to their bewilderment, the suspect pleaded for his freedom from detention and release of the containers while offering gratification to the tune of N50,000,000.00 equivalent to $54,330 at the current exchange rate of N920. “The money was collected and kept in safe custody at the Enforcement Unit to be tendered as an exhibit,” he explained.

The customs boss said the command received timely intelligence from its intelligence unit on the suspected importation of illicit d#ng£rous dr¥gs (unregistered regulated pharmaceutical products.

Mr Oloyede said the other container, No MRKU 553432/, had the details on Bill of Lading, with number 227898171, which contained 1,021 packages of ceiling fan, 36 jewels (cooper) and chilly cutter
(stainless steel plastic). He said after examination, the container contained 10 cartons of super royal 225 (tr#madol).

“Each carton contains 50 rolls, each roll contains 10 packets, each packet 10 tablets. Other contents are 105 cartons of Omeprazole capsule BP 200mg. Each carton contains 50 packets; each packet contains 10 capsules, 754 cartons of Barcadin with codeine (each bottle 100ml). Each carton contains 200 bottles. 50 cartons of manual grater machine – 70 pieces per carton and one carton of compo ceiling fan as means of concealment,” he said.