By BON PETERS, Port Harcourt

The Nigeria Customs Service Area 1, Port Harcourt, Rivers State says it has intercepted an illicit drug (tramadol) at the Omagwa International Airport in Rivers state worth N550M, even as the Command Revenue generation has increased to N142 Billion from January to August this year 2024, marking an impressive run of 105 percent in the Command?s revenue generation.

Briefing newsmen at the Command?s office, Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital during the handing over of the Illicit drugs to the National Drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA), officials, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller YM Hashim said that an intelligence report gathered over the past months, let to the seizure of the harmful drugs.

His words: ?Precisely on Monday 2 September 2024, at about 1000hrs, intelligence reports that had been gathered over the past few months in the Command, led to the seizure of Nine Packages of TAFRADOL-200mg tablets, at the NAHCO SHED of the Port Harcourt International Airport. The seized cargoes were smuggled into the country in two batches, six (6) packages in the first instance and Three (3) packages thereafter. The controlled substances were closely monitored on arrival by our eagle-eyed intelligence units that waited patiently for the consignee (the Customs Agent) to come forward for capturing and assessment of his consignment. While still in the NAHCO SHED, a joint examination was conducted, and it was discovered that the cargoes which had an Airway bill No. 020-21171010 and falsely declared as Medical equipment were found to contain 271 packs of 200 per pack and a fraction of 89 pieces making a total of 54,289 pieces of Tegretol-200MG, a brand of Tramadol Tablets, with a Duty Paid Value of Five Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (?550,000,000).?

Speaking further, Comptroller Hashim said: ?The said illicit drugs which are suspected to have originated from India were reported to have arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport through a Lufthansa Airline flight from Frankfurt in Germany.? The Customs boss stated that one suspect by name Mr. Patrick Agbo (the Customs agent) was promptly arrested by the Customs Police unit and transported alongside the shipment to the Customs cell in the Command?s headquarters where according to him, preliminary investigations were carried out.

He noted that to ensure the proper handling of those items, he would formally transfer the seized packages to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Port Harcourt International Airport Command for safekeeping and further investigation following relevant laws. Hashim, who has commended the leadership qualities of the Comptroller General of Customs, BA Adeniyi MFR and his team for their support and encouragement to the Command, also praised his officers and men for their courage dedication and commitment to duty, insisted that the transfer signified the Command?s collaborative efforts in tackling drug-related issues and ensuring that proper procedures were followed in handling illegal substances even as he emphasized that such underscored the Command?s shared commitment to battling drug trafficking and safeguarding public health.

Piqued by the situation, he warned those he described as unpatriotic and economic saboteurs who might be contemplating such illegal activities, to cease immediately, insisting that ?any attempt to bypass our rigorous security measures will not only be futile but will result to severe legal consequences.?

He further said: ?We are fully aware of the methods and strategies used by smugglers, and our commitment to detecting and intercepting these illegal activities are stronger than ever.

?We are equipped with advanced technology and highly trained personnel to secure our borders.

?We are also working closely with all relevant Government agencies in our ports, including the Nigeria Police, NDLEA, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, and NAFDAC among others and we are resolute in our mission to protect our nation from the dangers posed by illicit drugs and contraband items.?

On the revenue generation, comptroller YM Hashim said: ?I am delighted to announce to you that the Nigeria Customs Service Area 1 Command Port Harcourt has generated a total sum of ?142,451,734,415.47 Billion as revenue collected from January to August 2024.? He went further to posit that the achievement signified a substantial increase when placed in comparison with the same period of 2023 which according to him amounted to ?69,240,259,592.90. He noted also that the 2024 revenue indicated a remarkable difference of ?73,211,474,823, which represented a 105 % increase.?

Giving more details he said: ?It will interest you to note that the revenue collected in the months under review exceeded the mandated monthly target, which was averaged at ?15.351 Billion in the first quarter of the year and ?19.189 Billion in the second quarter of 2024 respectively.

?The annual revenue of the Command in the first quarter of 2024 was estimated at ?184.221 Billion and was later reviewed upwards to ?230,277,162,651.85 due to the upward trajectory of the command?s revenue performances.?

?The notable rise in revenue can be attributed to various factors including enhanced operational efficiency, successful implementation of new revenue-generating initiatives, creating an enabling environment for trade, and increased market demand. It is also a testament to our team?s dedication and the successful execution of our strategic goals. Furthermore, it is imperative to reveal that the increments varied from the different tax heads which included Import duties, fees, excise duties, Value Added Tax (VAT), Federation Account levies, and, Non-Federation account levies which are all derived from various bulk cargoes such as Wheat, Bitumen, Salt, Frozen fish, among others?.

?The month of August, however, experienced a slight decline in its revenue with a collection of ?11,323,319,175 due to the Federal Government?s directive for the implementation of Zero percent duty rate and value-added tax exemption on some basic food items, such as Wheat and Corn which are the major revenue earners for the Command.

The value of waivers for August was estimated at Fourteen Billion, Nine Hundred and Eleven Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand and Sixty-Three Naira ?14,911, 338, 63, which would have resulted in the highest revenue figure of over ?26.234 Billion into the Federation Account.?

Going forward, he said. ?We are poised to make the environment more conducive to traders as we are in full compliance with the Federal Government policy of Ease of Doing Business, as well as the Time Release Study (TRS) adopted by the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR in line with World Customs Organization (WCO) International best practice.

He stated that the Command was in high spirits to surpass the expected annual revenue target of the Command and noting that the Command?s focus for the remainder of the year would be on optimizing existing revenue streams and exploring new opportunities to maximize growth and anticipating continued progress vowing that he is confident that his Command will surpass their revenue targets by the end of 2024.

High point of the event was the handing over of the illicit drugs to the Commander of Narcotics, Port Harcourt International Airport, Commander Nathaniel Agada Negedo.

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