The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 1,306 sacks of expired and decomposing noodles, 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials and parcels of illicit drugs in a series of anti-smuggling operations along the Nigeria-Benin border.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed this yesterday while displaying the seized items at a press briefing at the Seme Border.

He said the seizures had a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N365.16 million.

Kaila said the 1,306 sacks of expired noodles, weighing 50 kilogrammes each, were concealed in a truck falsely declared as carrying food items.

He said the noodles had deteriorated and were already decomposing, adding that intelligence indicated that the smugglers intended to repackage and relabel the products for sale to unsuspecting Nigerians.

“Had this shipment succeeded, countless families would have been exposed to serious health hazards ranging from food poisoning and gastrointestinal diseases to other life-threatening medical complications,” he said.

The Customs boss also said 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials were intercepted while being illegally conveyed through the border corridor.

He warned that the explosives could have been used by criminal elements to facilitate terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes if they had reached their intended destinations.

Kaila said the explosive materials, along with one suspect, had been handed over to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force for safe custody and further investigation.

The command also seized 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, after the products were smuggled through illegal routes.

According to Kaila, the illicit rice imports not only deprived the government of legitimate revenue but also undermined its agricultural policies, discouraged domestic rice production and threatened the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.

On the fight against illicit drugs and harmful substances, the controller disclosed that the command seized 373 parcels of Cannabis sativa, 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg, 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.

He said the seizures disrupted criminal supply chains and prevented harmful substances from reaching Nigerian communities.

“These are not ordinary commodities. They are dangerous products capable of destroying lives, fuelling criminality, encouraging substance abuse and undermining the future of our young people,” Kaila said.

He added that the command also seized one used speedboat, one used water bike, a 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and a 2010 Nissan Versa.