By Steve Agbota
Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Friday, said that it intercepted illicit drugs and other contraband worth over N1.010 billion within one month.
Notable among the illicit goods intercepted include bales of Cannabis Sativa, parcels of Canadian Loud, petroleum products, and foreign parboiled rice, among others.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Unit Public Relations Officer, R Nche, on behalf of Comptroller Bishir Abdullahi Balogun, who said that as part of the unit’s revenue recovery, a total of N13.451 million was generated from Demand Notices (DN) within the period under review.
While giving the breakdown of the goods intercepted, he said the seizures include
25 bales of Cannabis sativa, five parcels of Canadian Loud, 78 jerry cans of 25cl crude oil, 725 bales of second-hand used clothing, 2762 rolls of satin fabrics of 60 yards, 2589 used tyres, 233 sacks of 2kg foreign rice, 181 rolls of wall covering, 102 bottles of 75cl of diesel, 80 jerry cans of 25cl of PMS, 32 new tyres, and 24 bottles of 150cl of diesel.
He said the others are 14 bags of 50kg foreign rice, cartons cartons of red wine, one sack of used shoes, one Scannia container body truck reg no: T 281 A2LA, one Mercedez truck reg no: NKE 323 XE, one Mack truck reg no: XB654-BNY 2001, one Mack truck with reg no: APP 808 XA and two X 40 FT empty container.
The Comptroller said that all the illicit goods were intercepted within one month of assumption of office as the Controller of the Unit.
However, during his first press briefing in Owerri, the new Controller of the unit frowned at smugglers, as he described the damages of smuggling as economic sabotage to bring in prohibited goods into the country.
According to him, the activities of smuggling will hurt the nation’s local industries and affect the well-being of individuals.
It could be recalled that Comptroller Bishir Abdullahi Balogun took over the mantle of leadership on March 20, 2025; he did not relent in carrying out his statutory mandate as he swung into action to bring smuggling activities in Owerri and its environs to a minimal level.