By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Tincan Island Port Command (TCIPC) has announced seizure of sixteen significant consignments of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical products, and other items worth approximately N37,000,000,000.00.
While achieved a significant milestone in revenue generation, collecting over N1 trillion from January to October 2024.Comptroller Dera Nnadi, Customs Area Controller (CAC) disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command on Thursday, where he said, “We are pleased to announce that as of today, 7 November 2024, the Command has generated N1,046,496,593,103.60. This marks the first time in the history of the Command that over one trillion naira has been collected in Customs duties.
“While we celebrate our esteemed stakeholders who have embraced our reforms and complied with Customs’ extant laws and guidelines, those who have not are now regretting their losses and the pain of non-compliance,” he explained.The CAC also announced the seizure of sixteen significant consignments of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical products, and other items worth approximately N37,000,000,000.00.According to him, the containers, imported from India, the United Kingdom, and Canada, were discharged between 17 May and 23 October 2024 and inspected by multiple enforcement agencies, including Customs, NDLEA, and NAFDAC.
Details of the seizures include numerous shipments of cough syrups containing codeine: Barcadin with Codeine, Broncleer with Codeine, and DSP with Codeine for throat and chesty cough (100ml, 200 bottles per carton); 420 cartons of Royal 225 (Tapentadol HVCL 125mg and Carisoprodol BP 100mg); 200 cartons of 5mg Benzhexol Tablets (Brand: Trodal); Cannabis Indica: 77 packets (38.5kg), 532 packets (265.025 kilograms), and 75 packets (37.5kg); and Diclofenac Sodium Tablets: Extra brand (50mg, 100 packs per carton).Other seized items include ceiling fans, deluxe chilli cutters, stainless steel blenders, and BiomalArtesunate injections.
Comptroller Nnadi warned that the Command would deploy all necessary resources and strategies, in collaboration with local and foreign security and regulatory agencies, to tackle the menace of illegal importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country.
“We are fully committed to delivering on this mandate.”