The Nigerian Navy has intercepted 1,306 bags of smuggled rice during an operation in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

The seizure was made on April 12, 2025, by officers attached to the Maritime Component of Operation AWATSE.

The team, led by Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, tracked the movement of smugglers attempting to evade arrest at the Majidun end of Ikorodu.

Speaking to journalists, Commodore Nimmyel said the navy acted swiftly when vehicles suspected of transporting contraband tried to bypass a security checkpoint.

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He said the Quick Response Team (QRT) pursued and intercepted the smugglers in line with the Joint Task Force's Standard Operating Procedures.

"No casualties were recorded during the operation. The professionalism and restraint shown by our personnel underscore our commitment to national security," Nimmyel said.

The confiscated bags of foreign parboiled rice were handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (Western Marine Command, Apapa) on April 16, in compliance with the Harmonised Standard Procedures for arrests and prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command, has handed over nine containers filled with expired and fake pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joy Edelduok, said the containers, all 40-foot in size, had been abandoned by importers for several years, making arrests difficult. She noted that the importation contravenes the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.