The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), has launched 18 patrol boats to curb the activities of smugglers who use the streams and waterways as a safe haven for their illegal trade. Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, who inaugurated the ships in Port Harcourt, said the 18 creeks patrol boats, made up of nine logistics support boats and nine gunboats whose parts were armored, should send clear signals to criminals that “the game is up.”He said: “Unlike before, we now have flat-bottomed boats that can access streams even when the water has receded. “Adding these ships to the Service Marine arsenal at a time when more smugglers are fleeing from land to water is just the right thing to do.

Source: The Guardian January 23, 2022 03:09 UTC