Apapa Customs ahead of smugglers with intelligence —Olomu
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By Providence Ayanfeoluwa
The Customs Area Controller of Apapa Port Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, has said the Command was committed to staying ahead of smugglers by leveraging intelligence and ensuring strict enforcement of regulations to prevent the importation of prohibited items.
Speaking at a meeting with the Director, Inspection and Enforcement Directorate of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr. Martin Iluyomade, Olomu said that the Command’s proactive stance is crucial in thwarting the activities of smugglers.
According to him, smugglers have recently resorted to employing new tactics, such as using fake registration numbers and making false declarations to bypass security checks, however, he assured that these deceptive methods have consistently failed due to the vigilance and effectiveness of Customs enforcement operations.
He told the NAFDAC boss, who doubles as Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake, Substandard Drugs and Unwholesome Food, that Apapa Command is very committed to the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the Comptroller-General of Customs and the Director General of NAFDAC aimed at preventing smuggling of items under the agency’s regulatory purview.
While urging NAFDAC to expedite action in evacuating handed over containers from the port, the Area Controller assured that efforts will be sustained to achieve arrest of suspects and hand them over with the seizures.
The CAC added that arresting the persons involved in the acts is a major step to demobilize the human element influence in the smuggling supply chain cycle and deter others from such illegal activities.
He also disclosed that officers under his watch have joined the CGC in imbibing zero tolerance for smuggling and will do the needful to avoid situations where our laws are circumvented for the lives of Nigerians to be endangered by what they eat, drink or by the use of arms and ammunition brought into the country illegally.
According to him, a recent seizure of 32 containers that attracted the presence of the CGC who personally supervised their handing over to NAFDAC attests to the smooth working relationship between both organisations and justifying their recently signed MoU.
On his part, Iluyomade commended Olomu for being uncompromising and making what he called Life Saving Seizures.
He said, “You can kill one or two persons with guns, but you can kill a whole nation with fake drugs, unwholesome food, and harmful medicine. It’s like those importing it are declaring war on the citizens of this country. “
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