Customs intercepts 20 containers laden with N13.5bn illicit drugs

The Area 11 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Onne, Rivers State, has intercepted 20 containers laden with illicit drugs with a duty paid value of N13,573,430,630.00. The outgoing Controller of Area 11 Command Onne, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, displayed the intercepted containers before newsmen at Onne on Wednesday, shortly after handing over the leadership of […]

The Area 11 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Onne, Rivers State, has intercepted 20 containers laden with illicit drugs with a duty paid value of N13,573,430,630.00.

The outgoing Controller of Area 11 Command Onne, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, displayed the intercepted containers before newsmen at Onne on Wednesday, shortly after handing over the leadership of the Command to the new Comptroller, Aliyu Alkali.

He said the intercepted containers were laden with 1,195,400 bottles of codeine syrup, 3,200,000 tablets of extra Diclofenac, 3,500,000 tablets of benzhexol, 1,633 cartons of laboratory equipment and 2,612,400 analgin injection packages.

Other drugs in the container were 239,400 packages of diluent ampoules of artesunate injection and 399,700 packages of diluent ampoules of expired aretemac injection.

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Babandede said the drugs, which were imported from India, were carefully concealed under other products.

He said that Nigeria has long struggled with the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medication, which he said posed a significant risk to public health with potentially fatal outcomes.