The Nigerian Navy on Friday transferred 627 bags of smuggled parboiled rice, 57 parcels of Indian hemp and one suspect to the Nigerian Customs Service and the NDLEA.
Capt. James Otache, Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry of the navy, said the handover was the result of consistent patrols by the Navy to defeat economic saboteurs and drug traffickers.
He noted that the Navy handed over 351 bags of smuggled rice and 41 parcels of Indian hemp to the appropriate authorities in August.
“The Nigerian Navy is always ready to thwart any illegality through persistent and aggressive patrol to enforce national laws to engender economic growth and national prosperity. Our men will continue to monitor the waterways, creeks and Badagry Coastline to keep these unpatriotic and unscrupulous individuals at bay.
“These arrests will send a strong signal to the local criminal syndicates and their international collaborators that Nigeria is not a dumping ground for illegal goods,’’ he stressed.
“I thank the Chief of Naval Staff for giving us the needed support to discharge our responsibility to the nation and I commend the officers and men of the unit for their resilience and doggedness,’’ Otache said.
Mr. Abdul Maiyaki, the Chief Superintendent, Narcotics in his remarks at the NDLEA, said that the agency would leave no stone unturned in tracking down drug cartels.
“The synergy between sister agencies is very cordial and robust. I thank the Commanding Officer of FOB Badagry for his wonderful support and also, the Nigerian Customs Service for their great efforts too,’’ Maiyami said.
