Onne Customs reveals strategic plan against economic saboteurs in 2020

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Area II Command, Onne Port, Rivers State has deployed various professional strategies to further combat economic saboteurs, particularly smugglers this year.

The Customs Area Command of the Command, Comptroller Aliyu Galadima Saidu, who disclosed this while reviewing the 2019 operations, said massive seizures were made last year which resulted to generating a total of N107.3 billion, while efforts are currently ongoing to surpass the record in 2020.

According to him, the revenue was generated from duty paid on imported goods in 2019.

Saidu said: “2019 has come and gone. I want to commend you all for your effort in revenue collection, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling. We can do better than we did last year by staying more vigilant against smuggling, duty evasion, concealment, under declaration and other unlawful acts.”

“Those involved in trade related malpractices will be looking for ways to beat the system, but we have deployed our trainings to productivity through diligent profiling, uncompromising examination, improved trade facilitation, strategized intelligence and tact exhibition for this year 2020 and beyond.”

He said that a total of 24 seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.2 billion were also recorded in the area of anti-smuggling during the year under review.

The seizures include 99 containers comprising vegetable oil, detergents, bags of foreign rice, scraps metals, corrugated aluminum sheets, furniture, tin tomatoes (tomato paste), insect repellant/killer, bales of fabrics and wax materials.

Seidu, in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer Area II Command, Onne, Ifeoma Onuigbo Ojekwu, said the seizures were made due to wrong documentation, false declarations, wrong classifications, concealments and non provision of end user certificates for the imported machetes.

Preliminary investigations carried out by the Service revealed that the primary motive for the items being smuggled was to evade paying the correct duties.

Saidu, who frowned at the continued menace of smuggling across the ports and borders, also lamented on the detrimental effect it has on the nation’s security, social and economic well being.

He advised those involved in such unpatriotic behavior to desist from it, and warned that the command will not spare anyone as efforts will be intensified in locating and investigating the economic saboteurs, no matter how they hide.

He also urged genuine businessmen to continue being law abiding and run their businesses with utmost compliance with the law as a way to build trust and integrity in their dealings.

During the period, the command recorded a total of 255,407 metric tones of goods exported.

He however, expressed appreciation to the Comptroller–General of Customs, Hameed Ali and his management team for their consistent encouragement and support; while reassuring continued resilience and diligence of officers and men of the Command in carrying out all statutory responsibilities without compromise.