The Nigerian Customs Service, Eastern Marine Command, has recorded a major anti-smuggling breakthrough with the interception of assorted prohibited and restricted items, including second-hand clothing, used shoes, scrap metals, and beverages, valued at millions of naira.
Unveiling the seizures in Calabar, the Controller of the Command, Comptroller Anderson Jaja, reaffirmed the Service’s zero-tolerance stance on smuggling, warning that the Eastern Marine Corridor will remain hostile to criminal networks seeking to undermine the nation’s economy.
Bales of second-hand clothing, sacks of used footwear, scrap metals, and assorted beverages were among items intercepted during recent anti-smuggling operations along the eastern waterways.
The Command says the seizures were made at different points across the maritime corridor as officers intensified patrols to check illegal movements and prevent prohibited goods from gaining access to local markets.
Addressing journalists in Calabar, the Controller of the Eastern Marine Command, Comptroller Anderson Jaja, said the operations form part of ongoing efforts to disrupt smuggling routes commonly used to evade border controls.
He warned that the Command will continue to apply strict enforcement measures against individuals and syndicates involved in smuggling, describing the activity as a direct threat to government revenue and economic stability.
The Eastern Marine Command says enforcement operations will continue across the waterways, as authorities maintain that smuggling and related offences will be met with lawful sanctions in line with existing customs regulations.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
