The Nigerian Navy has intercepted suspected smugglers along the Cross River State waterways, with 692 bags of foreign rice and 181 drums of PMS.
Five suspects arrested aboard 4 boats in two separate occasions around Fairway Buoy and Tom Shot Island are all Nigerians and the include Clement Okon Chali, Michael Ita Effiong, Felix Sunday, Aniefiok Effiong and Sunday Etim Bassey.
Speaking while handing over the suspects and goods to the Team Leader Operation Swift Response/ Border drill, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, Rear Admiral Vincent Okeke gave the street value of the goods at about N75.3million adding that the seized items; foreign parboiled rice were loaded from Cameroon and destined for Oron in Akwa Ibom before the arrest.
His words, “On Sunday 19 January 2020, NNS VICTORY patrol team arrested five suspects and four medium-sized wooden boats around Calabar Fairway Buoy and Tom Shot Island.
“Two of the boats were laden with bags of foreign parboiled rice suspected to be smuggled from Cameroon while the remaining two were laden with drums of PMS.
“The boats and five crew members were escorted to the base and 692 bags of different foreign rice brands and 181 drums of PMS were recovered”, he said.
He said within the last two months, the base has recorded 13 major arrests and seized goods worth 296, 500,000.00.
This he said shows the base is committed to dealing with smugglers as well as enforcing the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral IE Ibas which is to rid the maritime domain of all vices.
He added that anyone who tries to defy the grand strategic objectives of the Federal government in local rice production and food security will face the law.
Speaking while receiving the suspects and goods, Ali Madaki the Team Leader Operation Swift Response/ Border drill said the suspects will be handed over to the legal department for prosecution.
On the seized goods, he disclosed that they will be kept at the government warehouse pending further directives from the headquarters.
