THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Owerri recorded a total of 467 seizures of illegally imported items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N2.7billion in 2015.

Reviewing activities of the year, area Controller of the Zone, Dimka Victor David also disclosed that the unit recovered N130million underpayment within the period.

The Zone is saddled with the responsibility of nipping all forms of smuggling activities both in the South-East and South-South zones of the federation in the bud.

Dimka explained that 316 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures with one convicted and 23 cases pending in court of which the unit won seven cases within the review period.

Giving a breakdown of the seizures, Dimka said they include 343 vehicles; 378 bales of bags/suitcases with 466 pieces; 6,472 pieces of imported used tyres; 8,855 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products; and 2,758 bales of imported textile materials.

Others are 10 cartons of foreign beverages/juice; 2,584 bags of 50kg imported rice; 6,747 pairs of foot wears; 45 cartons of electrical/electronic equipment; 108 cartons of foreign vegetable oil; 1,387 packages of foreign furniture with 126 pieces; and 412 cartons of foreign soaps and detergents.

In addition, Dimka said that 1,561 cartons of fake drugs along with 7,493 bales of second-hand clothing and 5,642 cartons of other contraband items were equally impounded by the unit during the year under review.

A press statement issued by Public Relation Officer, Onuigbo Ifeoma, quoted Dimka as saying: “A comparative analysis of the above seizure report and duty recovered with same reports of year 2014 shows a geometric growth in result of suppressing smuggling within the zone. The current seizure report with duty paid value are 29% and 50% in increase respectively when compared to seizure report of year 2014 that recorded 363 seizures with Duty Paid Value DPV of N1,805,843,064.00.

“This increase also featured in the current report on duty recovered through DN issued as the increase represented in percentage of 81% is above the sum of N72,762,029 recovered on 59 Demand Notice (DN) issued and recorded in year 2014,”he said.

He  warned those still trapped in the illicit business to desist forthwith in their own interest, adding that  the NCS has been fortified to deal with the nagging problem of smuggling being perpetrated by some unpatriotic individuals who are desperate to make quick money to the detriment of the nation’s economy.

While assuring that the NCS under the leadership of the Comptroller-General, Hameed Ibrahim Ali would continue to apply decency and professionalism in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities, he added that officers found guilty of official misconduct must be dealt with accordingly.