The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ Owerri, has seized contraband goods with a duty paid value (DPV) of N99.9 million in the last three months.

The Public Relations Officer, FOU ‘C’, Jerry Attah, in a statement, said the seizure was a result of strengthened anti-smuggling operations.

Attah said within the month of April to June 2021, five suspects were arrested in connection to the seizures, which include 45 rolls containing 4,500 sachets of 225mg of the royal brand of tramadol.

Other seizures include 210 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice; 18 parcels of Indian Hemp; 19, 725 sachets of Diazepam tablet; 98 bales of used clothing; 220 cartons of foreign tomatoes paste; 12 cartons of foreign Johnson soap; 240 pieces of used tyres; 668 pairs of used shoes; among others mostly intercepted along Okada-Benin/Lagos expressway.

The Comptroller, FOU, Zone ‘C’, Yusuf Lawal reiterated that even though smuggling is a global phenomenon that cannot be eradicated entirely, all hands should be on deck so that it could be reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria.

Lawal commended the resilience and doggedness of his officers and men that brought about the result noting that “only God knows what would have happened if the tramadol gets to the wrong hand at this trying moment as the negative consequences can not be over-emphasized”.

He thanked the sister agencies that are always on the ground to give the necessary operational support, most especially the Nigeria Army, Police, DSS among others and look forward to sustaining such a relationship that will yield better performance in the remaining half of the year.