Authorities seized 102 bags of fake rice in Lagos

• Authorities seized 102 bags of fake rice in Lagos
• The cost of the staple food has spiraled, with a 50kg bag now costing £51
• Customs officials say the plastic rice would be dangerous to consume
• It is thought it had been smuggled from China, and a suspect has been arrested 

By Afp and Dave Burke For Mailonline

PUBLISHED: 10:32, 22 December 2016 | 

Authorities in Nigeria have seized more than 100 bags of plastic rice - saying it would have been dangerous to anyone who tried to eat the contents.

Prices of the staple food have rocketed ahead of Christmas and the New Year, and investigators believed the haul was shipped from China.

A suspect has been arrested after 102 bags were seized in Lagos.

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The cost of rice has swelled to a staggering £51 for a 50kg bag in Nigeria - more than double what it cost last year

Customs controller Mohammed Haruna said: 'We have done a preliminary analysis of the plastic rice. After boiling, it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed it.' 

A senior customs official told AFP that the bags are thought to have been smuggled in from China through Lagos port.

The 50-kilo bags, branded 'Best Tomato Rice', had no date of manufacture and were intercepted Monday in the Ikeja area of the sprawling city, the official said on condition of anonymity.

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