The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Ibaka Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, has confirmed the arrest of two alleged smugglers who confiscated 38 sacks of parboiled rice and impounded the boat used to carry them.

Uche Aneke, the Commanding Officer of FOB, made this confirmation on Monday while handing over the suspects and the rice to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in Ibaka.

Aneke, who said the suspects were apprehended on January 4 at around 8.30 a.m., said information revealed that a boat was transporting some foreign parboiled rice suspected of being trafficked from Cameroon to Nigeria and transiting within the waters under the FOB Ibaka Area of Responsibility.

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“Consequently, the gunboats from the Base on routine patrols, through a stop and search operation, were able to intercept two suspected smugglers in a fibre boat that contained 38 bags of 50kg contraband foreign parboiled rice.

“They were concealed under nine 250ltrs empty drums covered with a canopy,” Aneke said.

According to the Commanding Officer, FOB Ibaka, part of the Eastern Naval Command, will continue to detect offenders using advanced surveillance technology and ensure their capture and conviction.

He advised people and groups interested in smuggling unlawful consignments into or out of Nigeria or preparing to commit any type of criminality in Nigeria’s territorial waters, to stop immediately, emphasizing that Nigerian waterways and coastal regions are not for illegal activity.