By Dipo Olowookere
The Ogun Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a 20-feet truck fully loaded with expired fish and rice, smuggled into the country through the border.
The officers on operation swiftly arrested a suspect, who is a native of Benin Republic, in connection with the items.
The seizure of the contaminated fish is coming only one week after the Same Command made massive seizures of contraband items estimated at N291.8 million within the same border.
As a result of this development, the customs has called on Nigerians living within the communities of Idiroko, the border between Nigeria and Republic of Benin, to be on guard against expired frozen products smuggled into the country illegally, warning that such items have serious health hazards and are not suitable for human consumption.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Mr Gangua Hassan, stressed that his team will leave no stone unturned in the rage against smugglers working against government’s policy on industrial development.
It was learnt that the seized items were concealed in the truck, in a bid to escape security checks. While the cartons of fish were packed from the extreme corner of the truck, some bags of rice were arranged near the door to cover the expired fish.
The total number of items intercepted was 722 cartons of imported frozen fish comprising of soley fish, senrei fish classified under water pelagic fishes, commonly known as open sea fish, loaded in a refrigerated truck with registration number SMK 96 XR, and 56 bags of foreign rice were loaded inside the same truck.
The items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N10.5 million and one suspect, a native of Benin Republic was apprehended in connection with the seizures.
Adedapo Adesanya