Customs seize contraband items worth over N1.2 billion in first quarter
Joy Joseph, Lagos
Contraband items valued over N1.2 billion have been intercepted by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, Owerri.
The items which included foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, drugs, second-hand clothing, live ammunition, soaps, exotic cars, were intercepted in states of the South-South and South-East, which are the Areas of Operation of the zone.
According to the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Yusuf Lawal, the feat was achieved in the first quarter of the year.
Briefing Journalists on Wednesday, Lawal said: “Following our anti-smuggling drives, between January to March 2021, we have intercepted various contraband within our areas of jurisdiction which covers South-South/South-East zones with a duty paid value of N1,280,885,011.
“Also, based on our intervention we recovered the sum of N7,557,731, from demand notices raised, making a cumulative sum of N1,288,442,742. within the months under review.
“The detained and seized items include; 2,976 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 1,024 cartons of Colcaps medicament without NAFDAC certification, 290 cartons of Foreign Eva Soap, 204 Cartons of Foreign Tomatoes Paste, 130 Jumbo bales of used clothing, 5,200 live ammunition cartridges, six exotic vehicles; one Toyota land cruiser bulletproof 2019 model without End User Certificate from NSA, one Toyota Hilux 2020 model, one Toyota Corolla 2018 model among others.”
The CAC added that the feat wouldn’t have been possible without the logistics support from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (Rtd), and the entire Management of the NCS.
He further applauded the media for their continuous rapport and further sort for a fair and balanced reportage of customs activities.
“I urge all well-meaning Nigerians to support the Service in the fight against smuggling by providing credible and timely intelligence that will help the Unit reduce smuggling to its barest minimum as we hope to improve more in the second quarter by intensifying our surveillance,” he said.
