Business
Customs Beefs Up Security Around Toxic Waste Ship
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has beefed up security around MV Maersk Nashville, a ship suspected to be carrying toxic wastes.
Mr Yinusa Saka, an Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Zone “A”, told newsmen in Lagos on Friday that armed customs officers were both on the land and sea patrolling the ship.
He said that security had been tightened around the ship and dismissed fears of the ship escaping.
Saka said Customs officers would ensure that no one gained access to the containers.
Customs authorities said that the vessel anchored at Berth Seven at the Tin-Can Island Port of Lagos about 4 a.m. on Thursday.
Saka said that information had earlier been passed to NCS that a container with number UESU463595/0 suspected to contain toxic wastes was onboard the vessel.
The customs boss said the service got the information from its intelligence network as well as the Netherlands Customs.
He said when the ship berthed, the ship’s captain’s manifest read “suspected toxic wastes’’ and as a result the enforcement unit of the Nigeria Customs Service arrested and detained the vessel with its entire cargo, captain and the crew.
The Customs boss said that both the shipping company, Maersk Line, and the captain had acknowledged notice of detention issued by the Customs.
He said that the Customs had also taken statement from the shipping agent and that an interim report on Customs’ actions had been forwarded to the NCS headquarters in Abuja for further directives.
He said the duty of the service was not only to collect revenue but to combat smuggling and maintain national security.
Saka said the toxic wastes could cause cancer to human beings and added that the captain of the ship and the agent would be charged to court soon.
“We are the only authority that can arrest, prosecute, seize and detain any item,” he said.
Mr Victor Onyeuku, an Assistant Comptroller-General, said the agent of the vessel had been arrested and detained at the Customs Intelligence Unit at Tin-Can Island Port.
He also said that movement of the 20 crew members of the ship had been restricted.
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