Barely 13 days of taken over the mantle of leadership of the Seme Boarder Command of the Nigerian Customs Service as the Area Controller, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, has narrated how his men were able to Crack down a trans-border syndicate that specialises in International Passport racketeering along the West African coastal region.
While briefing newsmen at the command on Thursday, the Area Controller also said the command impounded a total of $6million fake currency in $100 bill.
According to him, while the $6million fake currency which is equivalent to N2.73billion at the exchange rate of N460.50k, was seized on January 31, 2023 at the Gbaji checkpoint, a total of 16 international Passports and 10 International Driver’s License were also seized at the Gbetrome Base same day from two members of the syndicate, both of who have been arrested and are currently being interrogated.
“Gentlemen, the significance of this is that we are dealing with a very dangerous syndicate that moves across the borders on the Nigeria-Abidjan trade corridor. Recall that there are six countries across this border comprising Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cot d’Ivoire and Senegal.
“It is my suspicion that this particular syndicate, being run by this lady, a supposed European citizen, will use each passport, move across one border and dispose the passport and international driver’s license off and continue to another country with a different identity, same face. We will get to unravel all these since we have already commenced investigations”. He stated.
It was also gathered that the two suspects arrested in connection with fake dollar bills, claimed they were working for a Chinese, simply identified as Master, who resides in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
According to the CAC, the International Passports comprised of six of a female citizen of Malta Republic in Europe, some of which bear both her name and her passport photograph while some bear only her picture with different name as well as 10 International Driver’s licenses, some with her name others without her name.
The other 10 International Passports seized from the syndicate comprises of three, which belong to a Togolese, two belong to a Senegalese while one belongs to a citizen of Niger Republic and two suspects were also arrested in connection with the seizure.
Within the same period, the command also seized 1,300 Jerry Cans (30litres), about 39,000litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which were being smuggled out of the country through the creeks. There were also more than 150 other jerry cans of the product seized that morning and loaded on four Toyota Hilux vans of the service.
Also seized were more than 200 bags of baking flour with label written in French, which according the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC was fake, since it was not registered with the agency and its label not written in English Language, which is the official language of communication of Nigeria.
Other seized items include 55 sacks of donkey skins, with each containing 100 skins,several cartons of expired agro-allied chemicals for farming, some of which had expired since 2015 as well as several others, which labels were written in French, which contravenes the Nigeria import laws.
Comptroller Nnadi, who briefed the press in company of the Heads of various government agencies in the Command warned that is was no longer business as usual for the smugglers. He said: “You can agree with me that these milestone seizures so far, were not made on a platter of gold. It took the painstaking efforts of the officers who spend hours on patrol and surveillance to record the seizures. We wish to reiterate that we will not relent on this effort. The Command will continue to dialogue, engage, sensitise and educate the public on social/economic implications of smuggling as well as performing statutory function of enforcing compliance in line with government fiscal policies”.
Continuing, Nnadi said, “Let me once more use this opportunity to appeal to parents and guardians residing in border communities to prevail on their children, wards and youths to desist from such criminal acts such as smuggling. During my courtesy visits to the traditional rulers in various communities in the Seme Badagry axis. I sought for their support in combating smuggling and urged them to educate their subjects on the menace of smuggling and the need to support security operatives in discharging their statutory duties.
“It is gratifying to note that we are all on the same page on the need to improve on our relationship with a view to maximising the opportunities offered by the proximity of the state to the borders and to develop trade in Lagos State. In all the traditional palaces visited”.
The Controller went further to state the challenges facing the border communities to include lack of Federal presence in terms of infrastructure and developments, unemployment of the youths and we received requests for Nigeria Customs Service to specifically create quota for children of the border communities during its recruitment exercises to generate employment for their teeming youths. I have communicated their request and recommended same to the management of the Nigeria Customs Service.
While thanking the Comptroller General of the service, Col. Hameed Ali and his management team for the support, especially in terms of providing the needed tool for the job, he assured that the officers and men of the command would leave no stone unturned in justifying the confidence reposed on them.
He also thanked the other sister agencies operating at the border, assuring that the current existing robust inter-agency collaboration would blossom in the overall interest of the Nigeria and her citizenry.
Comments
Post a Comment