Suspected trafficker offers N50 million in bribe to customs officials

A suspect, Mr. Boniface Ike, allegedly offered a Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officer a N50 million bribe in exchange for the release of his container, according to the Tincan Island Port Area Command of the NCS.

Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, the command’s area controller, made this announcement at a news conference in Lagos on Monday. He claimed that the recovered contraband was purportedly brought from India.

Oloyede claims that the suspect and one of his accomplices are being held at the command’s Enforcement Unit while an investigation is being conducted.

He clarified that the suspect, who allegedly admitted to being the importer of the containers that had been confiscated and were worth N550.3 million, requested to speak privately with one of the officers.

“In order to obtain crucial information from the suspect, I instructed my cops to cooperate. The request was granted. But to their surprise, the suspect begged for both the release of the containers and his release from custody.

“At the current exchange rate of N920, he offered satisfaction worth N50 million, which is equal to $54,330. In order to be shown as an exhibit, the money was gathered and kept in strict custody at the enforcement unit, according to his narration.

Two 40-foot containers bearing the bills of lading numbers 227578945 and 227898171 were used to conceal the goods, according to Oloyede, who confirmed that the command got timely intelligence from its Customs Intelligence Unit.

“The containers (MRSU 592397/0 and MRKU 553432/1) were transferred immediately to the enforcement station for 100% physical examination and further investigation,” he said. Tincan Island Container Terminal (TICT) is where the vessel unloaded its cargo.

On August 22 at around 2 p.m. and August 23 at around 1 p.m., respectively, enforcement officers, Customs Intelligence Operatives, Customs Police, and examination officers of the terminal physically examined both containers.

The content of the bill of lading for the container with the number MRSU 592397/0 was found to be in conflict with the examination’s findings.

Electricals, a ceiling fan, 36 Cooper diamonds, and chilled cutters (stainless steel plastic) were listed as the contents of the bill of lading (No. 227578945).

Upon inspection, it was discovered that the container had five cartons of Timaking 120 tapentadol hydrochloride carisoprodol capsules (Tramadol). Each carton has 50 rolls, each roll has five packets, and each packet has 200 tablets, the speaker explained.

Additional items in the containers included 84 cartons of gastro-resistant omeprazole capsules BP 200mg, each carton containing 50 packets and each packet containing 10 capsules; 876 cartons of CSMIX cough syrup with codeine, each carton containing 200 bottles; 50 cartons of manual grater machines, each carton containing 70 pieces; and one carton containing a ceiling fan.

Ten boxes of Super Royal 225mg (Tramadol) were discovered within the second container, designated MRKU 553432/1.

“Each carton contains 50 rolls, each roll contains 10 packets, and each packet contains 10 tablets,” said Oloyede. A further 105 cartons of Omeprazole Capsule BP 200mg, each of which contains 50 packets containing 10 capsules, 754 cartons of Barcadin with Codeine 100ml, each of which contains 200 bottles, 50 cartons of manual graters with 70 pieces each, and one carton of a compo ceiling fan round out the contents.

According to him, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulated the unlicensed pharmaceutical products that were intercepted.

Additionally, he claimed that the importer lacked the necessary licences, certificates, or other paperwork to confirm the products’ safety for Nigerian consumers.

The suspects, containers, and exhibit, according to Oloyede, will be given to the organisations in charge of policing and prosecuting criminal offenders.

In a separate development, he claimed the command had seized a container on August 24 that was discovered to contain frozen poultry items.

He claims that the interception happened after a close watch on a routine TICT inspection of a container with the number TTNU 804678/9, which fraudulently claimed to contain tangerines.

“The goods were misdeclared because their importation is prohibited (Trade).” He said, “The cargo has been confiscated for violating Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (2023).

In order to combat the threat of the illegal importation of harmful drugs and substances that are both unlawful and unregulated, Oloyede stated that Customs would use all available resources and tactics in cooperation with other security and regulatory agencies.