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Customs intercepts fake N2.5m currency, 40 drums of ethanol

By Sulaimon Salau and Eniola Daniel
22 November 2019   |   3:00 am
The Nigerian Customs Service, Ogun I Command, has intercepted fake currency notes worth N2.5 million, and 40 drums of industrial alcohol known as ethanol.

The Nigerian Customs Service, Ogun I Command, has intercepted fake currency notes worth N2.5 million, and 40 drums of industrial alcohol known as ethanol.

Also, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Strike Force Team, intercept and destroyed about 1,393 cartons of frozen poultry products.

Spokesman of the Command, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the fake currency notes were intercepted at Ihunbo checkpoint along the Sango-Idiroko Road.

While being interrogated, the suspect, one Samson Odebija, disclosed that he was commissioned to help transport the fake currency notes to Owode from Idiroko with a promise to reward him with N5,000, but met his waterloo.

Regarding the 40 drums of ethanol, Maiwada said: “The item was strictly stamped by NAFDAC for industrial use. However, investigation revealed that some unscrupulous elements engaged in the distribution of the product to the Idiroko populace, who ignorantly dilute the item with water and take it as an alcoholic drink. This is evidently harmful to the health of the people.”

He added that the Anti-Bunkering Team ‘A’ while on information patrol, also discovered a smuggling hideout at Iko-gate along Idiroko road, leading to the seizure 160 jerry cans (25 litres each) of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol.

“The daredevil smugglers devised a crooked method by hiding the tanker, and then used other vehicles as a shield from public view. They further nefariously constructed a pipe with an outlet sited on a cassava farm. The fuel is then siphoned into a tank and then into jerry cans with an intention to export the said items in batches outside the country,” he explained.

The CGC Strike Force, Deputy Comptroller, Yahaya B.U., said his team seized 1,393 cartons of frozen poultry products on November 9th and 11th, with a Duty Paid Value of N13.3 million being conveyed in 10 vehicles.

Yahaya revealed that the seizure of the smuggled frozen products was due to a combination of the unit’s intelligence and enforcement capacity.

He said smugglers were getting sophisticated and the Customs has devised means that are more sophisticated, to counter them in a renewed effort to give smugglers a run for their money.

Yahaya said it was very obvious that with the border closure, creeks would be their next options, but the officers are vigilant, as the Command will continue the onslaught until smugglers retreated.

He reiterated that the cordial relationship between the officers and villages along the coast is instrumental to the successes recorded, and will remain.

He added that the availability of operations tools and personnel motivation instills prompt response in the men whenever any alert was raised.

He emphasised that the importation of frozen poultry products remained prohibited, and that destruction of the products was in compliance with the Federal Government’s policy on imported poultry products.

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