The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it seized contraband comprising rice and other items valued at N105.3 million in Benin, Edo, between Sept. 20 and Oct. 19.

The National Coordinator, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Strike Force, Mr Abdullahi Kirawa, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Benin on Thursday.

Kirawa said that the impounded contraband were 2,185 bags of 50 kilogrammes of foreign par boiled rice valued at N52 million, 600 pieces of used tyres valued at N4.05 million.

Others, according to him, are 516 bales of used clothing valued at N33.35 million, 35 sacks of used shoes whose cost was N840, 000 and 100 cartons of vegetable oil valued at N3 million.

He added that 67 cartons of Tramadol tablets and Codeine syrups valued at N12.06 million and 538 bags of substance suspected to be cannabis sativa, with 10 kilogrammes in each bag, were also seized during the period.

Kirawa said that the seizure was mainly in the hinterland of the state and attributed the success recorded by the strike force to credible information from the public and Customs Intelligence Unit.

He appealed to the public to continue to avail the Service of useful information to ensure that smuggling in the country was reduced.

The coordinator, who handed the seized drugs and suspected substances to representatives of NAFDAC and NDLEA, respectively, said that the action was to show the level of synergy among security agencies.

Receiving the drugs, NAFDAC Controller in the state, Mrs Esther Itua, said that the Director-General of the agency was vigorously championing the war against illicit drugs, including Tramadol and Codeine.

Similarly, Mr Peter Ogar, Assistant Commander of NDLEA in Edo command, said that fighting illicit drug trafficking was a collective responsibility which required all hands to be on deck.

Zone ‘C’ of NCS comprises 11 states – Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo, and Ebonyi.

(NAN)