Pay duty, collect impounded vehicles, Customs CG tells owners of shut 110 car shops

Zika Bobby

Controller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), has approved that owners of vehicles impounded in the recent raids on car dealers’ shops who failed to pay Customs duty can now come forward to pay and reclaim their cars.

Operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone B in conjunction with the Strike Force of the Nigeria Customs Service, recently sealed about 110 car shops in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Ilorin, Sokoto, Kebbi and other cities in the North.

This is part of a renewed anti-smuggling campaign aimed at ensuring compliance with import guidelines.

Mustafa Sarkin-Kebbi, Controller of the unit, said the clampdown on car shops is in exercise of the extant laws empowering Customs operatives to enter any building suspected to have smuggled items.

Sarkin-Kebbi said the Controller General of Customs has approved that owners of vehicles found to be without proof of duty payment can come forward to pay and collect their vehicles.

He said his men are applying tact, intelligence and cooperation in the fight against smuggling as, according to him, smugglers are planting informants around Customs operatives to compromise and circumvent their anti-smuggling activities.

“The Controller General, Col. Hameed Ali,  has graciously approved that owners of vehicles that have not paid duty, and are affected by our raids, can come forward to pay and collect their vehicles.

“This is a window of opportunity for owners of smuggled vehicles to come forward and pay Customs duty to avoid forfeiture.

“Persons with vehicles that do not have duty papers can also voluntarily come forward to pay duty on such vehicles too.

“Duty evasion, which robs government of revenue, will not be condoned under our watch because the CGC has declared zero tolerance to such unlawful act,” Sarkin-Kebbi said.

He added that the sealing of car shops is being carried out simultaneously in nine states including the FCT, under the zone.