The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Port Command, recently made a massive bust, foiling an attempt to smuggle illegal goods worth a staggering N1,183,915,500 into the country. The contraband was cleverly hidden in four 40-foot containers, but customs officials were one step ahead.
Three of the seizures happened at the APM Terminals, and one at the Kachicares Bonded Terminal, according to a press release from CSC Usman Abubakar, the Command’s Public Relations Officer
According to a breakdown of the seizures, Items found includes 236,783 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine and barkadin cough syrup, hidden in 2,174 cartons from two terminals under the command.
Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, the Command’s Area Controller, provided additional information on the seizures, stating that they were a result of the service’s zero tolerance policy for smuggling.
Comptroller Olomu said, “On 11th of October 2024, our officers during a joint examination of 1×40 container number MRKU0377493 found prohibited CSP cough syrup in 34,800 bottles. The offensive importation was also found to have expired. The smugglers packed them in 174 cartons with 200 bottles per carton.
“On the same day, during another examination in the same terminal, a 1×40 container TGBU8886020 was found to be laden with 39,700 bottles of DSP cough syrup packed in 100 bottles per carton.
“Another 1x40ft container NO TCKU6800526 dropped at APMT Container Terminal, said to contain Essential goods was examined on 15 October 2024, and after examination it was found to contain a concealment of 19 cartons of CSJ cough syrup for throat and chesty with codeine 100ml packed in 200 bottles per carton”.
“At Kachicares Resources Terminal,1X40FT container NO SUDU8579006 said to contain kitchen wares was examined on October 15, 2024 and found to contain concealment of Barcadin cough syrup for throat and chesty cough in 100ml. They were packed in 1,584 cartons. Another set of 83 loose bottles was also found in the container.”
“Like I have always said, Apapa Command is committed to seamless trade facilitation powered by robust stakeholders engagement but will not compromise on our revenue collection, anti smuggling mandates as we facilitate trade.
“For the umpteenth time, I want to warn perpetrators of unlawful trade to steer clear from Apapa Port as our eagle eye officers relying on intelligence, technology and on the job experience are out to uncover all their smuggling antics” the controller said.
In 2018, the federal government prohibited the importation of codeine cough syrup due to its misuse and the negative consequences it had on numerous young people who were hooked to it.
Abuse of codeine has been linked to nausea or vomiting, drowsiness, difficulty focusing or thinking properly, and erratic behaviour, including criminal tendencies.
It has been discovered that these prohibited substances encourage criminal activity and deviant behaviours that have the potential to regress society.
The Area Controller has ordered additional enquiry into the seizures, to get more information that might result in the arrest of the involved suspect or suspects.
