The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have strengthened their partnership to curb import and export of drugs via ports.
The NDLEA Commander for Apapa Port, Mr Ameh Inalegwu, made this known when he paid a working visit to the ANLCA headquarters in Lagos on Tuesday.
Inalegwu said the visit was part of efforts to enhance partnerships with crucial port stakeholders in a bid to curb import and export of narcotics at the Apapa seaport.
“NDLEA’s task should not be left to the agency alone as the issue of drug abuse and drug trafficking should be a concern to everyone, especially freight forwarders.
“Freight forwarding association are encouraged to provide NDLEA with information about suspicious cargoes discovered in the course of their business at the ports,” he said.
Inalegwu also advised the freight agents to do background checks on their clients (importers and exporters), warning that they should not only be concerned about the monetary benefits of their businesses.
“As a freight agent, it is safer that importers take their non-compliant and illicit goods to someone else than to implicate yourself.
“If there is a problem with your goods, don’t tell us that you don’t know the importer. If you allow illicit drugs to pass through with your licence, you’re throwing a stone in the market and you can’t tell who it will hit,” he said.
Inalegwu who was recently posted to the Apapa Port, said that NDLEA would soon engage freight forwarders on drug trafficking and drug abuse.
Responding, the Vice President of ANLCA, Dr Kayode Farinto, advised the NDLEA team to work with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to get more freight forwarding practitioners onboard with the sentisation.
Farinto also warned freight forwarders to jettison harmful cargoes such as drugs.
He noted that the law of karma would definitely have its way by making the children of drug importers and freight agents drug addicts.
He, however, encouraged ANLCA members to be knowledgeable and make findings on their consignments, as some importers might say they were importing chemicals whereas they were importing drugs melted into liquid form.
