ONE WEEK, ONE TROUBLE FOR SMUGGLERS AS APAPA CUSTOMS COMMAND SEIZES ₦3.4 BILLION WORTH OF CODEINE SYRUP

The Apapa command of Nigeria Customs Service under Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba is not leaving any stone unturned in maintaining their position as the flagship of all Customs commands in Nigeria. Barely Five (5) days after the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC),

Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD visited the command and declared that the Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation, the officers

and men of the Command, have recorded yet another significant exploit. According to the report reaching this media through the indefatigable Public Relations Officer, CSC Isa Sulaiman, the Enforcement officers of the Nigeria Customs Service in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted and seized Two (2) containers containing a total of 3,398 cartons (339,800 bottles) of Codeine-containing Syrup (CSP Codeine) concealed in household utensils at the Apapa Port. The Cumulative street value of the seized items were put at Three Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Eight Million, Naira (₦3,398,000,000.00) only. "The details of the seizures are as follows;  a Container No. MRKU 3816476 found to contain 1,700 cartons (170,000 bottles) of CSP

Codeine concealed with 38 cartons of pearl plating insulated casserole/5' Bullet Insulated Hotspot and  Container No. TGBU 5399178 was found to contain 1,698 cartons (169,800 bottles) of CSP Codeine concealed with 36 cartons of pearl plating casserole. Both containers have been converted to seizure in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as amended." The Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Oshoba said "the seizure serves as a clear demonstration of the Command’s unwavering

commitment to the directives and vision of the CGC. “This fresh seizure, coming just Five (5) days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us. We are fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers,” he stated. He commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its seamless collaboration and unwavering support in the successful operation. Finally, Comptroller Oshoba maintained that the "Apapa Area Command remains steadfast in its resolve to protect public health, safeguard national security and facilitate only legitimate trade, in line with the CGC's renewed emphasis on technology-driven operations and zero tolerance for smuggling activities."