In a significant victory against smuggling, the Maritime Component of Operation AWATSE, led by Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, has intercepted 1,306 bags of foreign parboiled rice in the Majidun community of Ikorodu West Local Government Area, Lagos State.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, April 12, by officers of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, took place during a routine anti-smuggling and maritime security patrol. The interception was made when smugglers attempted to evade a naval checkpoint.
“Suspicious vehicles suspected to be engaged in illegal smuggling activities tried to evade our checkpoint. The Quick Response Team (QRT) immediately initiated pursuit in accordance with the Joint Task Force’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),” Commodore Nimmyel told journalists on Wednesday.
The operation was executed with precision and restraint, resulting in no casualties. Commodore Nimmyel commended the professionalism of the naval personnel and reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to supporting other statutory agencies in combating economic sabotage and trans-border crimes.
“The swift response of our QRT and the effective interception of these smuggled goods are a testament to our unwavering commitment to curb economic sabotage,” he said.
The intercepted rice, smuggled in defiance of Nigeria’s import laws, was handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, Apapa, for further investigation and legal proceedings. This handover complies with the Harmonized Standard Procedures on Arrest, Detention, and Prosecution.
Operation AWATSE is a multi-agency initiative focused on border security, anti-smuggling enforcement, and maritime surveillance across Nigeria’s South-West. This latest seizure underscores the Navy’s zero-tolerance approach to illicit trade and the Federal Government’s broader efforts to safeguard national food security and promote local agriculture.
