Customs Seize N1.7bn Fake Drugs

The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted fake pharmaceuticals comprising of Augmentin tablets, Ampiclox and Amoxycillin capsules concealed in 53 sacks with a Duty Paid Value of N1,739,000,000.00.

This was disclosed by the Oyo/Osun Area Controller, Dr Ben Oramalugo, on Thursday at the 2024 second press conference which was held at the operational headquarters of the command in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

He said that during the period covering February 1 through February 27, 2024, the command collected the sum of N5,664,295,751.15.

Oramalugo said that when added to the sum of N6,824,954,338.96 already collected for the period of January 2024, the cumulative sum of N12,489,250,090.11 had been collected so far for the 2024 fiscal year.

Among other seizures made by the Oyo/Osun command included 345 (50kg) bags of foreign parboiled rice with DPV of N24, 218, 000.00; 344 (25 litres) kegs Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with DPV of N5, 728,500.00; four wraps (4 kilograms) of Cannabis Sativa with DPV of N126,000.00, and 1,309 pieces of used tyres with DPV of N70,140, 000.00.

Other contraband seized by the command, according to Oramalugo, were 34 cartons and five bottles of foreign wine with DPV of N6, 231, 206.00; 40 bottles (five litres) and 21 bottles (one litre) with DPV of N1,760, 000.00 and N99, 225.00, respectively. The command also said that it seized 45 sacks and eight sacks/nine bales of used clothing and shoes with DPV of N42,720,000.