The Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Command of Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, has announced that the Command has at Thursday, 7th of November 2024 generated the sum of One Trillion, Forty Six Billion, Four Hundred and Ninety Six Million, Five Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand, One Hundred and Three Naira Sixty Kobo (1,046,496,593,103.60).
The significant surge in the command’s revenue is largely due to the uncompromising stance of the controller and his eagle eyed lieutenants.
Celebrating this milestone of collecting over One Trillion Naira as Customs duty being the first time this has been achieved in the command’s history, the controller dedicated the achievement to the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his management team.
He added that the command acknowledges the specific roles of the DCG Tariff and Trade and the DCG ICT /Modernization for their contributions too.
Nnadi also appreciated the support of the DCG Enforcement, Investigation & Inspection in enforcing compliance among stakeholders leading to the increased revenue in the command.
“While we celebrate our esteemed stakeholders who embraced our reforms and complied with Customs extant laws and guidelines, those who did not are regretting their loss and the pain of non compliance,” he noted as he unveiled sixteen (16) containers of significant seizures of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical products and other items seized by the command.
According to the controller, the 16 containers were discharged from May 17 to October 23, 2024.
He listed the drugs imported as Codeine-based products; numerous shipments of cough syrups with codeine; Barcadin with Codeine, Broncleer with Codeine, and DSP with Codeine for throat and chesty cough (100ml, 200 bottles per carton); Tapentadol & Carisoprodol; 420 cartons of Royal 225 (Tapentadol HVCL 125mg and Carisoprodol BP 100mg).
Others are Benzhexol Tablets; 200 cartons of 5mg Benzhexol Tablets (Brand: Trodal); Cannabis Indica: 77 packets (38.5kg), 532 packets (265.025kg), and 75 packets (37.5kg); Diclofenac Sodium Tablets, Really Extra brand (50mg, 100 packs per carton).
Other seizures are: Ceiling fans, Deluxe Chilli Cutters, stainless steel blenders, BiomalArtesunate Injection, Vessels of Importation; SpilKartika (Hapag Lloyd, voyage No. 2417W)Volana (Hapag Lloyd, voyage Nos. 2416W, 2421W)Maliako (Hapag Lloyd, voyage No. 2421W)WadiBani Khalid (Hapag Lloyd, voyage Nos. 2423W)MSC Sweden VI and MSC Katyayni NY427A.
Comptroller Nnadi gave the countries of Origin as :India (Barcadin, Diclofenac Tablets, Benzhexol, CSP with Codeine)United Kingdom (BiomalArtesunate Injection). Canada (Cannabis Indica).
He stated that total Duty Paid Value of these containers were inspected by multiple enforcement agencies including Customs, NDLEA, and NAFDAC. Consequently, he handed over a total of 13 Containers of unregistered pharmaceutical products to NAFDAC.
He recalled that on October 2, 2024, the command officially handed over 684 packets of Cannabis Indica, weighing a total of 341.025 kg, with an estimated street value of ₦682,050,000.00, adding that these narcotics were discovered in three 40ft containers Nos: MSMU 518030/2, MSMU 602957/0, and FSCU 927461/3), as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen interagency collaboration and coordination.
The controller assured that the command in particular and the Service in general will deploy all necessary resources and strategies at their disposal and in collaboration with local and foreign partner security and regulatory agencies to check the menace of illegal importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country.
“We are more than committed to deliver on this mandate. Aware that yuletide is around the corner, I wish to reassure all our stakeholders that the Command will partner with those who are compliant to ensure there are no delays in their cargo delivery,” he maintained.
He similarly used the opportunity to inform those who will dare the command’s resolve that it is ready to enforce the requirements of law.