The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed Area Command, seized contraband items between July and October 2024, including 175 military helmets, 50 drones, and 250 live turtles, with a Duty-Paid Value (DPV) exceeding N3.3 billion.
Other items intercepted at the Lagos airport include 10 packs of Canadian Cannabis sativa, 23 pieces of walkie-talkies, seven packages of Tramadol Hydrochloride (200mg and 225mg), 1.5 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, and 0.2 kilogrammes of porcupine pins.
The command’s Customs Area Controller (CAC), Michael Toyin Awe, displayed the items to journalists yesterday and said the seizures violated provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
During the same period, the command generated N144.2 billion in revenue, marking a 94 per cent increase compared to the N74.3 billion collected in 2023.
Awe attributed the achievement to enhanced trade facilitation, improved stakeholder compliance, strategic resource deployment, interagency collaboration, effective law enforcement, and intelligent risk management strategies.
Awe further highlighted measures implemented by the command to boost revenue and curb smuggling. These include streamlined clearance procedures, enhanced cargo inspection and examination, improved intelligence gathering, collaboration with other security agencies, and regular stakeholder engagements.
He assured that the command would intensify efforts to facilitate legitimate trade, enhance anti-smuggling operations, strengthen stakeholder collaboration, and leverage technology to optimise operations.
