The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi today showcased 12 cartons of controlled drugs worth N1.8 billion in duties seized by the Apapa Port Command of the service.
The drugs were intercepted and seized by officers of the command for several offences including failure by the importers to obtain required documents, false declaration, expiration and outright ban.
Adewale said: “Today, I am here to present seizures made by our officers at the Apapa Port Command, which comprise expired and controlled pharmaceutical products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of NGN 1.8 billion. Allow me to explain that these items, if allowed to exit the ports, would undermine the security of our dear nation by influencing the behavior of individuals involved in criminal activities, often fueled by illicit drugs such as tramadol.
“Aside from being expired, some of the seized drugs were imported without undergoing the necessary regulatory requirements, such as obtaining a National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) number. We also have containers that were seized due to false declarations, ostensibly to evade duty payments, which amounts to smuggling. In total, 12 containers have been seized. These importations are in flagrant violation of Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.”