The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Apapa Area Command, on Wednesday said it arrested two suspects conveying 10 cartons of stolen tramadol in an ambulance at Apapa ports.
Comptroller Muhammed Abba-Kura, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Apapa Custom Command, told newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday that the command was able to intercept the ambulance during a routine surveillance by the officer of the command on July 12 at about 11p.m.
He said that 10 cartoons of 225mg tramadol worth N2.81million were concealed in an ambulance.
“Some of our officers intercepted an ambulance (Hyundai) with registration number LND 605 XW suspected to be laden with offensive articles.
“Upon examination, the ambulance which has two occupants, was intercepted and concealed in the ambulance was 10 cartoons of 225mg of tramadol drugs.
“Investigation revealed that the stolen cartons of tramadol were pilfered from an undeclared container at the a terminal and physical examination further revealed that 211 cartoons of the drugs were missing from the container.
“We also discovered a total of 572 cartons of tramadol inside the suspected container with seal number 1155214, ” Abba-Kura said.
According to him, the duty paid value (DPV) of the stolen drugs stands at N59.3 million.
The controller expressed displeasure toward these economy saboteurs and their unpatriotic attitude despite efforts by Nigeria Customs Service to ride the nation of illicit drugs.
“It is regrettable to state here that while the Nigeria Customs Service is working round the clock to free this country of illicit goods, some recalcitrant and unpatriotic citizens are not relenting in their desperate urge to sabotage our efforts.
“Ordinarily nobody would suspect that such act can be committed by supposed stakeholders that ought to be collaborating with the service to rid the nation of these harmful drugs.
“The Command’s strategy of 24 hours surveillance in and around the port has continued to yield desired results,” he said.
Abba-Kura said that preliminary investigation was ongoing as the command was currently working hard to ascertain the level of the offence.
He said that the command had also generated N20 billion between July 1 and July 15 within the last 12 working days.
Abba-Kura, however, said that investigations were ongoing to further uncover those behind the deal, adding that customs was not after revenue alone but also to protect the health of the nations.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the driver of the ambulance said the owner of the goods now at large, gave him N2,000 to assist him convey the goods to the ports gate.
NAN also reports that the second suspect, who claimed to be a stevedore workers at the port, said he was offered N50,000 to drive a container containing a soap inside the ambulance.
The suspect said he did not know that it was containing tramadol drugs.
NAN reports that the ambulance belongs to Medbury medical services.
NAN
