Customs impounds fake insecticide worth Nmillions in Kano

*Contraband owner arrested, to face prosecution  

 Emmanuel Akosile

In order to safeguard the health of consumers, operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have stormed a warehouse holding pirated insecticides worth millions of Naira in a remote village in Kano State.

The Sun reports that Ahmed Nasiru, Customs Area Controller in charge of Kano/Jigawa Area Command, said this Wednesday, January 22, while parading the bags of faked insecticides at the Bompai Headquarters of the NCS in the state.

The insecticides, which consist of several bags of mosquito coils, were apparently imported from China by a Nigerian, who had been operating as a front for some Chinese businessmen, Nasiru explained.

The Customs boss, however, regretted the activities of the smugglers were injurious to the economy.

Kano has one of the best insecticides factories, yet a Nigerian would rather smuggle in the same product to destroy the company and the economy, he queried.

He stated that the fake, imported insecticides have been reported to be dangerous to human health.

Medical experts had linked these coils to cancer disease in human beings, he further disclosed.

The Customs boss, who sought an upward review of the punishments meted out to the culprits, held that already the owner of the consignment has been apprehended.

According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service intends to collaborate with the affected company to prosecute the suspect.

Apart from the offence of smuggling, he stated that there is also a case of pirating their trademark.

“This is a breach of their trademark, which is an international issue. Now the question is: Who took their trademark to China?

“You are using a company’s name to produce and you are bringing it to the same market where the company is selling….”

He expressed optimism that investigation would lead the Nigeria Customs to burst an international gang, which has perfected the act of pirating Nigerian goods for their selfish ends.