Nigerian Navy hands over 300 bags of seized rice to Customs

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Badagry, on Tuesday handed over 300 bags of rice seized along the coastline from smugglers, to the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Command.

The Commandant of the Nigerian Naval Base in Badagry, Navy Capt. Simon Dogo, said that the seizures were made along the coast at Tongeji Island in Badagry.

Dogo said that the seizures were made as a result of intelligence gathering and tip-off by the officers.

``Over the weekend, the officials of the Navy seized 300 bags of rice from smugglers at the Tongeji Island.

``The seizures were made possible through intelligence gathering and a tip-off the officials got, the commandant said.

``The moment we got the information, we laid ambush for them on both ways and they easily fell into our hands and no casualty was recorded, ‘’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the commandant as saying.

He said, ``The smugglers tried to bribe the officials who made the interception but they resisted because we are determined to eradicate all that would affect the economy of the country.’’

``Due to the synergy that exists between the Customs and the Navy, we have handed over the seized items so that the Customs can carry out further investigation,’’ Dogo said.

The Controller of NCS, Seme Command, Comptroller Victor Dimka, commended the efforts of the Navy and promised to maintain the synergy between both agencies.

Dimka said that the suspects and the seized items would be handed over to the Marine Unit of Customs, whose primary responsibility ``is mainly to combat smuggling along the waterways’’.

The controller, however, warned smugglers to desist from smuggling or face the full wrath of the law when caught.