Anti-smuggling operatives of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) from Ogun 1 Area Command, Idiroko Border have intercepted 940 rounds of live ammunition, alongside over 7, 000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kg between March and June this year alone.
This is just as the operatives also successfully halted the movements of 219 sacks, with an additional 1,725 parcels of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemps being imported into Nigeria from the neighbouring Republic of Benin.
The NCS’ area controller (CAC) for Ogun 1 Command, James Ojo, disclosed this yesterday in Abeokuta the Ogun State capital while briefing journalists on the stewardship of his command for the second quarter of the year 2024.
The CAC, who gave the cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizure to be over N770. 666 Million, also listed other contrabands, including 44 466 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly referred to as petroleum; 2 227 pieces of foreign-used vehicle tires, and 2 947 cartons of frozen poultry products, which, according to Ojo, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has proven to be dangerous to human health.
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the health implications of consuming frozen poultry products preserved with chemicals and smuggled into Nigeria from the Republic of Benin can be severe and multifaceted”.
“Speaking of the chemical contamination, smuggled poultry often lacks proper regulatory oversight, increasing the risk of harmful chemicals being used for preservation. These chemicals, which can include formaldehyde and other preservatives, can be toxic if ingested, potentially causing acute and chronic health issues, including poisoning, cancer and organ damage”.
Ojo explained that the interceptions were as a result of continuous vigilance, collaborations with the traditional rulers of the border host communities, as well as other sister security agencies, who all supported his dreams on the need for a united front in the fight against smuggling and other economic crimes.
