Illicit drugs: Customs intercepts banned substances worth N46.4b in Rivers

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 21 containers carrying banned drugs and a container of donkey skin at the Area 2 Command in Onne Port, Rivers State.

This development was announced yesterday by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, during a press briefing at the port.

He credited the operation’s success to the agency’s collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Babandede explained that the seizures align with the directive from the Controller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who had declared a state of emergency at the command during his visit two months ago.

The seized items were reportedly concealed in sanitary wares, waste connectors, and chilly cutters, raising concerns over the potential public health risks associated with their distribution.

According to Babandede, the contraband included a significant quantity of cough syrup containing codeine, with over 62,000 bottles confiscated. Additionally, more than 7.5 million tablets of Really Extra Diclofenac, 3.5 million tablets of Trodol Benzhexol, and nearly 27 million tablets of a mixture containing Tapentadol, Tramadol, and Tamolx were discovered.

The command also seized over 7.6 million fake antibiotics purportedly for treating gonorrhoea, and millions of counterfeit tablets of chlorphenamine and Lemotil Loperamide.

The operation also uncovered various items used for concealment, including nearly 19,500 chilly cutters and over 29,000 sanitary fittings such as taps and toilet seats. In addition, the authorities found 26,400 tubes of fake permethrin cream, approximately 480,000 counterfeit strepsil tablets, and over 112,000 fake multimineral supplements. Notably, 28 drums of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, each weighing 25 kilogrammes, and 2,100 pieces of donkey skin were also among the seized goods.

The total duty-paid value of the intercepted drugs was estimated at N46.4 billion, while the container of donkey skin was valued at N441 million.

Babandede noted that the command had confiscated 63 containers this year as part of its anti-smuggling operations.

Following the seizure, officials handed over the intercepted drugs to representatives from NAFDAC and NDLEA, while the container of donkey skin was turned over to the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) for further investigation and action.