Steve Agbota
The Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted large quantity of military uniforms, police and Immigration uniforms as well as buffalo horns and tramadol on the high sea.
The Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller B.N Binga, who disclosed this in a press conference yesterday, said other prohibited items seized include foreign rice and textile materials, among others.
According to him, the seizures were made within few weeks of operations with the two gunboats launched recently by Controller General of Customs (CGC) Ali Hameed.
He further said the items seized could be amount to a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) N61,611,925.00. He said even with the Operation Ex-Swift otherwise called Border Drill, some citizens have remained adamant and refused to stop smuggling despite losing their contraband items running into millions of naira.
He stressed that instead of taking advantage of then Federal Government policy on agriculture, especially in the area of rice production for the nation to be self-sufficient, some people resorted to smuggling to sabotage the efforts of the government.
He added: “Hard time awaits smugglers on waterways because with the sea-going vessels, the tempo of anti-smuggling operations at our command is very high. We must ensure strict enforcement of government policies. We want to make it clear to these economic saboteurs and their accomplices that Customs do not negotiate with smugglers. Items found to be contraband will be seized and offenders prosecuted.”