The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja has arrested 10 suspected smugglers and seized 384 parcels of hard drugs.
The illegal traders who were apprehended along Iyana-Ipaja road, concealed the items in six bales of second hard clothing, imported into the country from Ghana.
Disclosing this before the press, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, said the prohibited items were valued at N18,432,000 and the Uint acted fast on a tip off.
According to him, “The Unit within few weeks through intelligence-driven strategies seized contra-band items estimated at the Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N334million. We also recorded underpayment recovery of N273.6million from duty payments as well as demand notices on general goods, which tried to outsmart Customs through the seaports, airports and border stations in the guise of false declaration, thereby realising a cumulative value of N607.7million.”
“Some of the items intercepted include 6,356 bags of rice with DPV of N78,395,221; 2,495 cartons of foreign poultry products with DPV of N22,455,00; 13 units of vehicles with DPV of N58,819,500 and general goods with DPV of N78,091,850.
“Others were 40ft containers with registration number ACLU 967372/1 and CMAU 437648/0 loaded with 4,982 used tyres with DPV of N30,101,950; 170 cartons of piston rings compressor with DPV of N2,866,875; 12 pallets, 1,296 vehicles batteries; 108 pallets with DPV of N38,880,000 and unprocessed wood meant for export valued at N6,000,000.”
“We thank CGC Ali Hameed for repositioning the Service and appreciating the effort of officers in bursting the antics of economic saboteurs with different methods of concealment. I am using this medium to call on all Nigerians and the media to partner with Customs in the campaign against the evil of smuggling to the nation’s economy. We must continue to intensify our anti-smuggling operations within our areas of coverage, in order to ensure efficiency. We must work together to curtail the nefarious activities of smugglers, who are working for personal gains, to the detriment of our economy,” Mohammed said.
