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The Western Marine Command (WMC) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has reiterated its commitment to paralysed smugglers business activities on the Nigerian waters and creeks.
Addressing newsmen at the destruction of smuggled frozen poultry products worth N3.476 million, the Customs Area Controller of WMC, Comptroller Boyiliya N. Binga, who was represented by CSC Lawal Arisekola said said very soon smugglers would have it tougher because the management of NCS led my CGC, Comptroller Ali is making an attempt to supply harbour engine, which will be mounted on the boat on ground to deal with smugglers.
He added: “Our interest is to paralysed smugglers business. The harbour engines would be mounted on the boat on ground in order to enhance our efficiency while patrolling the waters apart from the five ocean vessels that have been on ground. When the engines finally mounted, there would be no space for Smugglers to operate within our jurisdiction.”
Speaking on the seizures, he said the first set of the products were seized by Nigerian Navy Foward Operations Base, Badagry and it was handed over to Western Marime Command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service while the second set was made by the officers of WMC.
He added: “170 cartons of frozen products, Turkey specifically was seized by the Navy. We are not relenting too as a Command but because of harmonised code of operations of arrest the thing and prosecute, it was handed over to us by Nigerian Navy.
“For our own officers too, on June 13, 2019, we made another seizures comprising of 173 cartons of the same frozen products. You recall that around April 16, 2019, we destroyed 608 cartons of the same frozen products and in May 28, 2019 as well, we handed over of cannabis seized by the Command to NDLEA.”
According to him, the combined duty paid value of the items was N3, 476, 875 million and the items were destroyed at Customs destruction site, in compliance with Federal Government’s policy on importation of frozen products (chicken and turkey).
He advised smugglers to engage in legitimate business, saying that somebody can establish a poultry business locally with the amount of the products been destroyed.
