In a major boost to Nigeria’s anti-smuggling operations, the Maritime Component of Operation AWATSE, under the command of Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, has successfully intercepted 1,306 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice in the Majidun Community of Ikorodu West Local Government Area, Lagos State.
This landmark operation was carried out by officers of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT on Saturday, April 12, during a routine anti-smuggling and maritime security patrol within their designated Area of Operations.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Commodore Nimmyel, who also serves as the Maritime Component Commander for South-West Operation AWATSE, revealed that the contraband was seized after smugglers attempted to breach 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),” he explained.
The naval personnel executed the operation with exceptional professionalism and tactical restraint, ensuring that no casualties were recorded during the intervention.
“The swift response of our QRT and the effective interception of these smuggled goods are a testament to our unwavering commitment to support other statutory security agencies in curbing economic sabotage and trans-border crimes,” Commodore Nimmyel emphasized.
The 1,306 bags of foreign parboiled rice, which were concealed and transported in breach of Nigeria’s importation laws, were handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command in Apapa, for further investigation and legal action. The handover aligns with the Harmonized Standard Procedures on Arrest, Detention and Prosecution.
Operation AWATSE, a multi-agency security initiative, continues to play a pivotal role in border protection, anti-smuggling enforcement, and maritime surveillance in the South-Western region of Nigeria.
This latest seizure not only reaffirms the Nigerian Navy’s zero-tolerance stance on economic sabotage but also reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders from illicit trade that undermines local agricultural production and national food security.
