The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it has confiscated contrabands namely; scrap metal, narcotics, expired drugs and other prohibited items worth over N430 million from January to October, 2016 from smugglers.
Speaking at the Nigeria Ship Finance Conference and Exhibition (NISFCOE) in Lagos on Monday, the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Yusuf Umar while saying that the feat was achieved with one yet to be commissioned ocean going boat, one gun boat and eleven patrol boats stated that vessels were tools required for the optimal performance of the Service.
Umar pointed out that where there was no fund to acquire new vessels or to refurbish existing ones, activities of the economic saboteurs on the nation’s waterways would go unchecked adding that that was a security risk the nation could not afford to allow.
He posited that with access to fund, the Nigeria Customs Service would acquire adequate sea going vessels, gun boats and speed boats, provide heavy duty weapons to combat illegal activities of smuggling, training and re-training of officers and men of the Service to international standard of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) among others.
While recalling that security plays a vital role in ensuring fluidity of trade in the maritime sector, the Controller observed that the impact of security operations on the nation’s waterways required a combined effort of surveillance, access control, perimeter detection, building technologies on surveillance ships and proper people and processes.
“I pray that through your deliberations, the issue of ship Finance as it affects security will also be brought to fore citing what partnership can be made for the acquisition of these vessels. Our waters can be safer but this calls for high spirited collaboration amongst stakeholders especially the financial sector”, he said.
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