The Nigerian Navy on Friday handed over 627 bags of smuggled parboiled rice, 57 parcels of Indian hemp and one suspect to the Nigerian Customs Service and the NDLEA.

Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry of the navy, James Otache, said the handover was the outcome of aggressive patrols by the Navy to checkmate economic saboteurs and drug traffickers.

He said the Navy handed over 351 bags of smuggled rice and 41 parcels of Indian hemp to the appropriate authorities in August.

“The Nigerian Navy is always ready to thwart any illegality through persistent and aggressive patrol to enforce national laws to engender economic growth and national prosperity.

“Our men will continue to monitor the waterways, creeks and Badagry Coastline to keep these unpatriotic and unscrupulous individuals at bay.

“These arrests will send a strong signal to the local criminal syndicates and their international collaborators that Nigeria is not a dumping ground for illegal goods,” he stressed.

“I thank the Chief of Naval Staff for giving us the needed support to discharge our responsibility to the nation and I commend the officers and men of the unit for their resilience and doggedness,” Mr Otache said.

In his remarks, the Chief Superintendent, Narcotics at the NDLEA, Abdul Maiyaki, said that the agency would leave no stone unturned in tracking down drug cartels.

“The synergy between sister agencies is very cordial and robust. I thank the Commanding Officer of FOB Badagry for his wonderful support and also, the Nigerian Customs Service for their great efforts too,” Mr Maiyami said.

(NAN)