Red alert over expired fish: NCS intercepts truck load at Idiroko border, arrests suspect

The Ogun Command of Nigeria Customs Service has
called on Nigerians living within the communities of
Idiroko, the border between Nigeria and Republic of
Benin, to be on guard against expired frozen products
smuggled into the country illegally, warning that such
items have serious health hazards and are not suitable
for human consumption.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command,
Comptroller, Gangua Hassan, gave this warning, sequel
to interception of a 20feet truck fully loaded with
expired fish and rice, smuggled into the country through
the border. The officers on operation swiftly arrested a
suspect, who is a native of Benin Republic, in connection
with the items. He stressed that his team will leave no
stone unturned in the rage against smugglers working
against government’s policy on industrial development.
The seizure of the contaminated fish is coming only one
week after the Same Command made massive seizures
of contraband items estimated at N291.8million within
the same border.
ome of the seized items in side refrigerated truck and
Burial of the expired fish
During the visit, Sunday Vanguard observed that the
seized items were concealed in the truck, in a bid to
escape security checks. While the cartons of fish were
packed from the extreme corner of the truck, some bags
of rice were arranged near the door to cover the expired
fish.
The burial of the items was another task entirely, which
took almost a whole day, as over 10 labourers were seen
digging and burying the items at a dump site within the
Command.
Speaking, the CAC, who displayed the items in the open,
explained, “Our officers intercepted 722 cartons of
imported frozen fish comprising of soley fish, senrei fish
classified under water pelagic fishes, commonly known
as open sea fish, loaded in a refrigerated truck with
registration number SMK 96 XR, and 56 bags of foreign
rice were loaded inside the same truck. The items have
a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N10.5million and one
suspect, a native of Benin Republic was apprehended in
connection with the seizures.
He is giving the Command useful information needed for
investigation. In contravention of the guidelines as
contained in the government policies and extant
circulars, the goods were seized, and must be destroyed
accordingly, as you are going to witness here. It is
pertinent to note that frozen fish has recently come
under regulated products in Nigeria with vivid guidelines,
which every fish importer must fulfil before embarking on
importation. For the avoidance of doubt, apart from
fulfilling all import guidelines, there must be fishing
license permit from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development by the importing company.
Such importation must be subjected to National Agency
for Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
certification. In pursuant of government policy on fish
importation, Customs is working assiduously to ensure
that Nigeria is not turned into a dumping ground of not
only fish, but other restricted items.
Smugglers should desist from illegal border trade and
allow sanity in our economic environment, as we will not
hesitate to confiscate any prohibited item brought into
Ogun Command illegally. We are well trained and
adequately equipped to curb smuggling in whatever
form.”
Some senior officers who supervised the destruction of
the items at the dump site said that timely intervention
in seizing the expired fish averted what would have been
a major disaster, if such items had gone into the market
for unsuspecting Nigerians to consume.