NNS Beecroft Arrests, Hands over 162 Bags of Smuggled Rice to Customs

Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT patrol team recently intercepted and arrested a wooden boat ferrying 162 bags of contraband rice around Lagos Offshore area.

According to the base, the arrest was in line with the federal government’s ban on the importation of rice

To achieve this, the Nigerian Navy has continued to collaborate with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to stop the activities of smugglers who attempt to import this commodity in a bid to sabotage the nation’s economy.

THISDAY gathered that preliminary investigations by the base revealed that the bags of rice were all foreign parboiled rice smuggled into the country from Republic of Benin.

Therefore, in line with the Nigerian Navy Standard Operating Procedures, NNS BEECROFT handed over the Cotonou boat and 162 bags of rice to the Nigeria Customs Service.

On the arrest, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, Commodore Bashir Mohammed, warned smugglers to steer off Lagos maritime environment.

Mohammed, who was represented by the Base Operations Officer, Commander Andrew Zidon, vowed that the base would be relentless in its determination to bring an end to rice smuggling within its Area of Operations in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral AZ Gambo Strategic Directive 2021-5.

“As partners for a safe maritime environment, members of the public, especially our host communities are enjoined to kindly furnish the base with credible information to assist in curbing the activities of criminal element and economic saboteurs,” he added.