Customs FOU, Owerri hits sumgglers, seizes used tyres, other banned items worth N207m
Officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (FOU), Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri has stepped up monitoring and compliance on war against smuggling and recorded strides while carrying out its operations.
The Comptroller FOU ‘C’ Owerri, Amajam Bukar who made this known in a press briefing on the successes of anti-smuggling operations in the Zone, said the Unit has made seizures of over 8295 used tyres worth N66,360,000 in duty paid value. The seizures were made from January 2016 to July 2017.
Conducting newsmen around Government Warehouse in Benin, where the seizures were being showcased, he said most of the used tyres were craftily concealed in their various means of conveyance but operatives of the Service were able to detect and intercept them.
Amajam Bukar stressed that used tyres put motorists in grave danger and therefore the Unit in carrying out its functions will continue to ensure that irresponsible traders bent on putting Nigerian lives at serious risk will not succeed.
Giving a breakdown of seizures made by FOU ‘C’ Owerri in July 2017, the Comptroller said the Unit has recorded 18 seizures with duty paid value of N141,229,000. The Unit also made recovery of underpayments to the tune of N24,575,796.
According to him, the seizures include cartons of vegetable oil, used tyres and bags of rice. Others are a luxury bus intercepted with 69 bags of rice and 40 bales of second hand clothing. Another Sino truck laden with 460 bags of rice with duty paid value of N11,776,000 and also Toyota Previa car was intercepted with 59 bags of rice with duty paid value of N944,000.
While displaying a 1×20 foot container intercepted conveying used motor parts with cartons of foreign soap concealed inside Comptroller Amajam explained that the foreign soap was prohibited for trade. He explained that import prohibitions have been put in place to protect the local manufacturing industry and called on the populace to gain information and knowledge before importation.
Also on display were three exotic cars including a Bently GT Coupe 2014 model with duty paid value of over N56 million naira, Mercede s Benz GLK 2011 model with duty paid value of N9,235,963 and another Mercedes Benz GLK 2008 model with duty paid value of N7,715,838 under detention.
Amajam disclosed further that preliminary investigation reveal that the three cars do not have evidence of duty payment. He added that the nature of the cars show that it was bought by someone rich and affluent. He thus appealed to wealthy Nigerians to be patriotic and pay appropriate duty and taxes.
He also stressed that it was the civic duty of every Nigerian to forward any useful information to the Service to enable us guard against illegal activities of smugglers and protect the socio-economic wellbeing of the nation at large.
While commending patriotic Nigerians that have volunteered information that yielded positive results, he noted that such information have increased the success rate of the command in anti-smuggling operations.
He further asserted the resolve of the Unit and Service at large to bring smuggling to its barest minimum, saying the directive on removal of illegal checkpoints does not hamper operatives in the discharge of their duties.
Amajam argued that even though smugglers were trying to capitalise on the directive to ply their trade, he noted that they have not succeeded because information patrol teams have been on high alert and good to go at all times.
