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Customs beams searchlight on creeks to curb smuggling

By Sulaimon Salau
15 June 2018   |   2:59 am
It is definitely no longer business as usual for the smugglers that adopted the creek as route for their nefarious activities, as the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone “A” of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) beamed it searchlight to the creeks, waterside at various locations in Southwest region of the country. Indeed, the recent operations…

Nigeria Customs Service

It is definitely no longer business as usual for the smugglers that adopted the creek as route for their nefarious activities, as the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone “A” of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) beamed it searchlight to the creeks, waterside at various locations in Southwest region of the country.

Indeed, the recent operations by the Unit has revealed several antics of the smugglers, leading to seizure of 15 trailers of rice among other items that were seized across different location between 16 May and 12 June this year.

The Unit also intercepted contrabands, goods and vehicles have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.3 billion while about N59.5 million was recovered from underpayments, making a cumulative of N1.4 billion.

The Controller FOU, Zone “A” Ikeja, Mohammed Uba, while parading the seizures before the media, said: “Some of our officers put their lives on the line making these seizures, most especially the 15 trailers load of rice knowing fully well it’s a big battle at the creek and bush parts. Their resilience and doggedness is highly commendable,”

He said: “In order to ensure full implementation of the government policy banning the importation of rice through land borders and following headquarters directive on same, we re-strategised our operational modalities and beam our searchlight on the creek, water side at various locations in Southwest zone, hence the massive rice seizure within the period under review.

“We will continue to make sure smugglers within our areas of jurisdiction count their losses until smugglers repent from sabotaging our economy,” he stated.

Uba listed other seized items to include; 15 exotic vehicles including three Toyota C-HR (2018 Model); one Toyota Camry LE (2018); one Toyota Prado (2018); one Mercedes Benz (2017); among others.

Other spectacular seizures include; 9,049 bags of foreign parboiled rice (15 trailers); 1,464 cartons of frozen poultry products, 870 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 273 bales of used clothing, 592 pieces of used tyres among others.

Also, four containers with no: PCIU850134/9, PCIU8278544, FCIU983753 and TGHU6924330 have been seized for false declaration.

While two of the containers were carrying 8,633 pieces of empty cylinders as against plumbing materials declared in their SGD, the other two carried 120 bales of new jeans as against punching machine declared.

Uba said 12 suspects were already arrested in connection with the 112 seizures.

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