Navy combs Badagry creeks, seizes150 cartons of turkey
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy attached to Forward Operating Base (FOB), Badagry, at the weekend, conducted series of raids along Badagry creeks where some suspected criminals use as safe haven to perpetrate crimes. At the end of the patrol, the operatives intercepted two large wooden boats also known as Cotonou boats used by suspected smugglers […]
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy attached to Forward Operating Base (FOB), Badagry, at the weekend, conducted series of raids along Badagry creeks where some suspected criminals use as safe haven to perpetrate crimes.
At the end of the patrol, the operatives intercepted two large wooden boats also known as Cotonou boats used by suspected smugglers to ferry over 150 bags of rice and 100 cartons of frozen turkey.
It was learnt that the contraband was allegedly being smuggled into the country from neighboring Benin Republic. It was also learnt that the items were carefully concealed under trampolines.
The Commander, Forward Operating Base (FOB), Captain Tamuno Senibo, while handing over the smuggled items to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, Western Marine, said all the seized items were intercepted at about 12:00am on June 27, 2019
Senibo added that two similar wooden boats used by smugglers to convey foreign frozen turkey were also seized in two separate operations earlier in June
“While patrolling the waters between Badagry and Seme creeks, we intercepted four wooden boats laden with 150 bags of smuggled rice and 100 cartons of frozen poultry products. The suspects on sighting our men, jumped overboard and swam away,” he said.
According to him, his men are still on their trail, warning that every other suspect to desist from the waterways or face the wrath of the law.
He noted that part of the mandate of the Navy, apart from policing the waters, was to assist in the coordination of all custom laws.
The Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Lewis Embe, who led a team of customs officers to take over the seized products, hailed the efforts of the Navy.