Customs seizes 517 bags of rice, 320Kg Indian hemp in Sokoto

The Sokoto Command of Nigerian Customs
 Service (NCS) has seized 517 bags of foreign rice and 320 parcels of
Indian hemp of 1kg each illegally smuggled into the country.

Addressing newsmen on Saturday in Sokoto, its Comptroller, Mr Gimba
Umar, said other items seized included 34 bags of Sugar and 45 bales of
second hand clothes all intercepted at various routes in Sokoto and Kebbi states in the last two weeks.

Umar said the items had total duty paid value of N14.9 million.
He said that the Indian hemp were wrapped in paw-paw shape of one kilogramme each when the Volkswagen Golf car conveying them was apprehended.

According to him, no suspect was arrested in connection with the
offence as the suspects fled and abandoned the vehicle in an uncompleted
building.

He commended the Police for their support which facilitated successful
apprehension of the illicit substances, stressing that when the
suspects approached Customs check point, the quickly turned back which
arouse suspicion.

The comptroller said other areas where the items were intercepted
included Argungu-Kangiwa, Illela, Sokoto-Gusau, Kamba and Dole Kaina
axis.

Umar assured that the command would not relent in its efforts to ensure
that no person or group of persons sabotaged efforts of the NCS and
the growth of the nation’s economy.

“We will keep pursuing them to ensure that no foreign rice passes our
borders as smugglers can do everything possible to succeed in their
unlawful strives,” Umar said.

He reiterated that the command would sustain its commitment to
pursuing more revenue generation, ensuring smuggling-free country and
other mandates of the NCS.

Receiving the Indian hemp, an NDLEA official, Mr Almustapha Aliyu,
said the illicit substances were suspected to be imported from Benin
Republic and Ghana.

Aliyu said the substances were the special brand called
“Sconk’’.

He, however, promised that the substances would be subjected to laboratory tests and measured at NDLEA office.

He commended the Customs service for intercepting the illicit drugs, stressing that this was not the first time the service was achieving such a feat.

He described the feat as an indication of the synergy that existed between the Customs service and NDLEA in the state.