The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun State Command 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,
Comptroller, Gangua Hassan, gave this warning, sequel to interception of
a 20feet 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. He
stressed that his team will leave no stone unturned in the rage against
smugglers working against government’s policy on industrial development.
The seizure of the contaminated fish is coming only one week
after the Same Command made massive seizures of contraband items estimated at
N291.8million within the same border.
During the visit, Sunday Vanguard observed 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 burial of the items was another task entirely, which took almost a whole
day, as over 10 labourers were seen digging and burying the items at a dump
site within the Command.
Speaking, the CAC, who displayed the items in the open,
explained, “Our officers intercepted 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 N10.5million and one
suspect, a native of Benin Republic was apprehended in connection with the
seizures. He is giving the Command useful information needed for investigation.
In contravention of the guidelines as contained in the
government policies and extant circulars, the goods were seized, and must
be destroyed accordingly, as you are going to witness here. It is pertinent to
note that frozen fish has recently come under regulated products in Nigeria
with vivid guidelines, which every fish importer must fulfill before embarking
on importation.
For the avoidance of doubt, apart from fulfilling all import
guidelines, there must be fishing license permit from Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development by the importing company. Such importation
must be subjected to National Agency for Food, Drugs, Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) certification.
In pursuant of government policy on fish importation,
Customs is working assiduously to ensure that Nigeria is not turned into a
dumping ground of not only fish, but other restricted items.
Smugglers should desist from illegal border trade and allow
sanity in our economic environment, as we will not hesitate to confiscate any
prohibited item brought into Ogun Command illegally. We are well trained and
adequately equipped to curb smuggling in whatever form.”
Some senior officers who supervised the destruction of the
items at the dump site said that timely intervention in seizing the expired
fish averted what would have been a major disaster, if such items had gone into
the market for unsuspecting Nigerians to consume.
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