By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) PH I Area Command, Port Harcourt, has intercepted Five Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N550,000,000) worth of illicit drugs at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This was disclosed by Comptroller Mustapha Hashim, the Customs Area Controller, during a press briefing held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024.
According to Comptroller Hashim, the seizure, which occurred on 2 September 2024, involved nine packages of Tafradol-200mg, a brand of Tramadol.
“The consignment, originating from India and arriving via Lufthansa Airlines from Frankfurt, Germany, contained 54,289 tablets of Tramadol. The packages, falsely declared as medical equipment, were detected by customs officers based on intelligence,” Hashim stated.
“During the operation, a customs licence agent responsible for the shipment was arrested. Both the suspect and the illicit drugs were taken into custody for further investigation”, he explained.
The CAC emphasised the ongoing collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other agencies in combating drug trafficking.”The seized drugs will be formally handed over to NDLEA for further investigation and safekeeping.”
He also issued a stern warning to those involved in smuggling, reiterating that the Nigeria Customs Service is equipped with the advanced technology and well-trained personnel capable of intercepting such illegal activities.
In addition, the Command announced its revenue performance from January to August 2024 to the tune of One Hundred and Forty-Two Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifteen Naira, Forty-Seven Kobo (N142.45 Billion).
According to Comptroller Hashim, this marks a one hundred and five percent 105% increase compared to the Sixty-Nine Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety-Two Naira, Ninety Kobo (N69.24 Billion) collected in the same period in 2023.
He acknowledged that the achievement is despite a slight decline in August’s revenue, with Eleven Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-Five Naira (N11.32 Billion) collected, attributing this to the Federal Government’s directive on zero-duty and VAT exemptions for essential food items such as wheat and corn.
“Without these exemptions, the Command would have recorded revenue of over Twenty-Six Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty-Four Million Naira (N26.23 Billion) in August,” he explained.
Comptroller Hashim expressed confidence in surpassing the Command’s yearly revenue target, noting the Command’s ongoing efforts to optimise revenue streams and explore new opportunities.