Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service , Western Marine Command at the weekend raided notorious criminal hideouts in riverine communities in Lagos and Ogun states.
At the end of the raid, which lasted through out the weekend, the operatives recovered 400 bags of rice, second hand foot wears and clothings and foreign frozen chickens totaling about N16.371 million being smuggled into the country.
However, the criminals abandoned their consignments as they jumped into the water and swam off into the creeks.
It was gathered that the criminals held the operatives in a bloody shootout but at the end of the gun battle some of the suspects sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects, according to sources.
Comptroller Sarkin Kebbi, while addressing newsmen at the Headquarters of Western Marine, Lagos said he would not relent in his effort to ensure that criminals stay away from Lagos and Ogun waters.
He said: “This renewed spirit is what led to the recent seizures made. This time around the seizures were made at two different locations. The bales of chothings, rubber sandals were made at Ilufe in Ojo Alaba area by the joint team of the command. The seizure took place at about 2.30a.m. on Thursday last week.
“As for the foreign parboiled rice, the seizure took place at Tungeji-Ijofin creeks in Ogun State. I want to use the opportunity to call on stakeholders and the general public to assist us with useful information that will lead to the taming of these unrelentless smuggling.
“I also want to use this opportunity to warn criminals to stay away from our water ways as officers and men had been directed to clamp down on their activities.”
He explained that the command is not unaware of the criminal activities going on in some riverine communities such as Ishashi, Agbara, Shibiri, Etegbin, and Owode areas.
According to him, those areas have been identified for notorious activities, adding that some of the areas also engage in the smuggling of drugs.
He said that plain clothed operatives have been deployed to marked areas, and that anybody or group of persons found to be aiding the activities would be dealt with like the criminals.
