Four male suspects have been arrested around Effiat waterways by the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, Mbo local government area in Akwa Ibom State, for smuggling 202 bags of 50kg rice.
The suspects, who are within the age range of 25 to 37 years, are made up of three Nigerians and a Cameroonian, were arrested on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 around 2005hours.
The wooden boat carrying the rice and suspects, which was spotted during a routine patrol by Navy gunboats had also been seized.
The Commanding Officer, FOB, Captain Peter Yilme, said the arrests was the seventh the base had made within two weeks of his resumption as the CO.
Speaking, in Ibaka during the hand-over of the items to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Yilme noted that the Navy was determined to end smuggling on the water ways in line with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff and in compliance with the reference of the FOB.
