…rakes in N34. 75 billon in the first half of 2022 which is N5,162,662,592 above the N29.59 billion collected in the same period in 2021
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed Airport Area Command, has officially handed over seized some hard/illicit drugs, counterfeit pharmaceutical products and endangered specie products to the three sister agencies of government – the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) and the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
The items include 7000 pieces of donkey male genitals, donkey parts, and tramadol hydrochloride.
At a media briefing on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Sambo Dangaladima seized the opportunity to for the umpteenth time express his profound gratitude to all the government agencies serving in the area command for what he called the high degree of inter-agency cooperation which he said he had enjoyed since he took over as the Customs Area Controller.
He also thanked his officers and men for their dedication to their duties.
According to Dangaladima, the success they have recorded so far and the seizures that were being handed over were made possible through credible intelligence from the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) as well as from sister agencies, complaint stakeholders and most importantly, the doggedness of the officers and men of the command.
Dangaladima disclosed that they successfully foiled an attempt to export 7,000 pieces of donkey male genitals to Hong Kong through the cargo section of the command.
The endangered specie parts were uncovered in the export section in an attempt to ship them to Hong Kong and that the consignment was packed in 16 sacks that were falsely declared as containing male cow genitals but upon diligent examination, they were discovered to be male donkey genitals.
He told newsmen that the suspected exporter made a lucky escape from the export facility when customs officers became curious and expressed suspicion over the smell of the consignment valued at N216,212,813.58.
Comptroller Dangaladima, who handed over the donkey parts to Adebimpe Adetunji, an official of Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service(NAQS), disclosed further that the item which is under export prohibition, were found in one Air Waybill Number (AWB) 157-86222990/16 meant for export to Hong Kong.
Others are 115,800 tablets of 225mg tramadol hydrochloride in 1,158 packs; 913 packs/39,491 tablets of fake and counterfeit pharmaceutical products without National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) number which came in three(3) AWBS; 071-447246/2, 155-01091506/5, and 701-44720841/5 respectively.
Comptroller Dangaladima concluded his remarks by thanking the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), retired Colonel Hammed Ali and his management team for their unflinching support for the command.
On the revenue profile of the command, he announced that a total of N34, 757,683,022 (billion) was collected in the first half of 2022 which is N5,162,662,592 (billion) way above the N29,595,016,430. 00 (billion) collected in the same period in 2021, representing 18 per cent increase in revenue collected.
