Just as the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced massive haul of smuggled goods from the border, majority of Nigerian importers have thumbed up the strategic intelligence deployed by the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Compt. Uba Mohammed.
The importers, who spoke to Business Hilights at the Seme Border post, said Uba has changed a lot structures at the border and in the process blocked all usually easy ways to bring in goods illegally.
According to the traders, if the tempo so far introduced by Uba’s reforms, cases of smuggling especially used cars, textile materials, rice and other locally produced goods will be reduced to the barest minimum.
Earlier in his media briefing, Compt. Uba revealed that the Command generated the sum of N2.62 billion from March till date.
Some of the seized items displayed by the Command included 175 pieces of textiles materials worth N2.2 million smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.
Mohammed said about 8,304 bags of 50kg foreign rice, which is equivalent to over 14 trucks load of rice worth N89 million were also seized, while another 71 cartons of expired food seasonings worth N458,109, and 336 cartons of alcoholic drinks worth N5 million were intercepted during the period.
Others are, “31 X 25litres Jerry Cans of vegetable oil worth N269,911; 35 X 50kg Bags of sugar, N444,785; 138 x 25litres of PMS, worth N212,100 and 71 Cartons of Expired Food Seasonings worth N458,109.
“175 pieces of 6 Yards of Textiles worth N2.24million, 15 sacks of used clothes N677,486 and 28 cartons of Medicament, N1,083,978 and 410 sacks of School bags worth N13.2million”
“Also, 2,000 cartons of Expired Biscuits, N7,742,700 and another truck loaded with 493 packs of Baby Diapers worth N4.1million,” he said.
He also displayed “1,582 parcels of Cannabis Sativa found concealed in an Indomie truck; and another notable arrest of 55 parcels of same Cannabis Sativa concealed in a Sienna bus. A total of 1,686 parcels were arrested (with street value worth of over N30 million) for the period under review.
“As part of our community service, the Customs Comptroller General, directed that a total of 25,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent of 42 trailer trucks), 650 bags of Sugar, 150 cartons of tin tomato, 150 bags of flour, and 250 kegs of vegetable oil were transferred to the Nigeria Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NACST) between the month of April and May, for onward delivery to Yobe State Government, Damaturu for distribution to IDPs in the state.
“A total of 11 vehicles have also been seized notable among them are Toyota Highlander (2005), Range Rover (2007), Toyota Rav 4 (2006), Toyota Venza (2010) and others with combined duty paid value of N46.1million” he stated, adding that six suspects were arrested during the period under review.”
Business Hilights recalls that Compt. Mohammed Uba was recently moved from Customs Zonal Command Ikeja to Seme Border Command.
