From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Officers of the Kano/Jigawa Zonal Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), at the weekend, intercepted over 500 bags of imported rice along the Kastina border.
The rice, imported into the country in five different trucks, was concealed among other regular domestic items in a bid to beat the officers at the checkpoint.
Briefing the media at the Bompai headquarters of the service, the national coordinator, Comptroller-General’s Compliance Team, Abubakar Azarema, said that no arrest was made as the culprits took to their heels and fled into the bush upon sighting Customs officers.
He reiterated the NCS resolve to end the importation of rice across the nation’s borders given its negative implications to the policy of the federal government to boost local production of rice, while charging those behind the evil act to desist henceforth.
Azerema also displayed over 570 cartons of unregistered drugs, which were seized along Lagos-Kano highway by his officers. He explained that the 570 cartoons were singled out of about 1,500 cartoon of drugs in the same vehicle even as he added that the registered ones would be handed over to their owners in due course.
The Customs boss told reporters that the owner of the unregistered drugs had been arrested, detained and released on bail after two days, even as he flayed the importation of unregistered drugs, given their health implications.
He disclosed that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has been invited to take samples of the unregistered drugs, adding that they would take over the investigation.