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By Steve Agbota, Lagos
The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it intercepted 45,928 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50 kg each, equivalent to 77 trailer loads, 265,830 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and other contraband.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos yesterday on the activities of its half-year, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), FOU Zone A, Deputy Comptroller, Hussein Ejibunu, said that among the numerous other seized items are 2,933 bales of used clothes, 233 cartons of Tramadol (225mg each) and 83 packs of 225mg, 65 units of used vehicles, 14,784 pieces of used tyres, 119 units of used motorcycles and 3,659.05 kg of Indian hemp respectively.
He added that goods seized within the first six months of the year are worth a cumulative duty paid value of N7,116 billion, adding that these seizures were made for contravention of different Customs offences.
According to him, a total of 103 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seized goods. He hinted that the sum of N577, 853 million was collected as revenue derived from underpayments.
“The achievements I am about to inundate you with are the results of our officers’ meticulous documentary checks in ensuring that identified revenue leakages are plugged.
“Successes recorded in the anti-smuggling drives are products of sustained vigilance and intelligence deployment within the ports and border corridors. Thirdly, I must also commend personnel’s Professionalism in compliance with the extant regulations,” he said.
However, he commended the doggedness of the officers of this Unit; whose diligence to duty has earned the great feat achieved over six months (January-June 2022).
On the whole, he noted that the entire success of the Unit is premised on the improved logistics supplied by the management of the Service Headquarters, inter-agency collaboration with sister security agencies, esteemed stakeholders, as well as patriotic citizens for providing useful and timely information.
“Let me use this medium to remind the business community that although some of the land borders were reopened; it is worthy of note to be reminded and to know that, they were reopened for legitimate businesses.
“Importers, agents and the general public are enjoined to be acquainted with the federal government’s fiscal policies, Customs extant regulations as well as the import and export prohibition lists for proper guidance.
“We shall continue to facilitate legitimate and compliant traders to grow our local economy, while we sustain deliberate efforts aimed at frustrating recalcitrant traders; as seen in the volume of seizures displayed,” he added.
