In a major operations, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has seized goods worth over N3 billion, serving smuggles’ notice that it is no longer business-as-usual.
The seized items include three new Toyota Prado Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), 4,911 bags of 50kg rice, 15,048 cartons of frozen products, 1,884 kegs of vegetable oils and 17 trucks of unprocessed teak, among others.
Also seized by the NCS, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, were unprocessed teak meant for export. Only processed teak can be exported.
The market value of the items, sources at the Ministry of Finance said, is over N3 billion.
The zone’s Area Controller, Umar Mohammed Dahiru, said the latest followed ban on rice importation through the land borders.
He gave the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the rice, frozen products, vegetable oil and others apart from the teak wood as N572,100,700.
Dahiru said that the agent had been asked to produce the SUVs’ papers to enable the Customs determine their status.
The controller said most of the seized frozen products were concealed with frozen fish to confuse his men. In other instances, cooling vans were used to conceal the products, he said.
On the visit of the Customs Comptroller-General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd) to the zone, Dahiru said it was to strengthen operational ties with the critical stakeholders.
“The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) and his team are working tirelessly despite the present harsh economic challenges to re-position the Service for greater efficiency and functionality.
“In area of logistic support, I would like to appreciate the CGC and his Management for providing necessary equipment which has enabled us to frontally deal with smuggling. Just recently we took delivery of new weapons – AK 47 rifles and ammunition to complement those in our armoury. It has really gone a long way in giving us a comparative advantage against these economic saboteurs.
“The Unit is working in tandem with the change mantra and ideology of the present management to ensure that all areas of revenue leakages are blocked, using scientific methods. These smugglers can be very daring because most times you see them welding sophisticated weapons, but the cheering news is that we have superior fire power and are always steps ahead of them. We need the partnership of all Nigerians through credible intelligence to help the Unit in its campaign against smuggling,” he said.
The controller promised that the Customs Community Relations (CCR) would be revived for the education and sensitisation of the populace, particularly those dwelling in the communities where smugglers operate.
On trade facilitation, the Controller said Nigeria as a signatory to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) treaty on trade facilitation/liberalisation could not contravine the treaty.
“The Service is a compliant organisation and we are determined to deliver services in line with World Customs Organisation (WCO) standards, because we are key elements of WCO.
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