- The seized container was suspected to have contained contraband goods imported from India
- The suspect is currently held in the command’s Enforcement Unit while an investigation is ongoing
- The suspect admitted to importing containers worth N550.3 million and offered the bribe during a private conversation
The Nigeria Customs Service’s Tincan Island Port Area Command reported that a man named Mr. Boniface Ike attempted to bribe one of its officers with a sum of N50 million in exchange for releasing his confiscated container.
During a press conference in Lagos, the Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, shared this information on Monday. He revealed that the seized contraband had purportedly been brought in from India.
According to Oloyede, the suspect, along with an accomplice, is presently held in the command’s Enforcement Unit as part of an ongoing investigation.
He clarified that the suspect, who allegedly admitted to being the one who imported the seized containers worth N550.3 million, wanted to hold a private conversation with one of the officers.
“I instructed my officers to play along; the request was granted in expectation of receiving vital information from the suspect. But to their bewilderment, the suspect pleaded for his freedom from detention and the release of the containers.
“He offered gratification to the tune of N50 million, as displayed, equivalent to $54,330 at the current exchange rate of N920. The money was collected and kept in safe custody at the enforcement unit to be tendered as an exhibit,” he narrated.
Oloyede, who confirmed that the command received timely intelligence from its Customs Intelligence Unit, said the products were concealed in two 40-foot containers with bills of lading.
“He offered gratification to the tune of N50 million, as displayed, equivalent to $54,330 at the current exchange rate of N920. The money was collected and kept in safe custody at the enforcement unit to be tendered as an exhibit,” he narrated.
Oloyede, who confirmed that the command received timely intelligence from its Customs Intelligence Unit, said the products were concealed in two 40-foot containers with bills of lading numbers 227578945 and 227898171.
“On arrival of the vessel at Tincan Island Container Terminal (TICT), the containers (MRSU 592397/0 and MRKU 553432/1) were transferred immediately to the enforcement station for 100 per cent physical examination and further investigation,” he affirmed.
Customs enforcement officers, along with other agencies, conducted physical examinations of two containers on August 22 and 23. The contents of the containers didn’t match their bills of lading.
The second container, labeled MRKU 553432/1, was found to contain 10 cartons of Super Royal 225mg (Tramadol), along with various other items like Omeprazole Capsules, Barcadin with Codeine, manual grater machines, and a compo ceiling fan.
The pharmaceutical products were unregistered and lacked necessary permits from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The importer also lacked the required documents for the safety of the products. The suspects, containers, and evidence will be handed over for regulatory action. Additionally, a container falsely declaring its contents as tangerines was intercepted on August 24.
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