By Elizabeth ADENUGA
The Zone ‘A Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U.) of the Nigeria Customs Service says it intercepted contraband with Duty Paid Value of N23.6 billion last year.
Spokesman for the command, Jerry Attah, said the seizures comprised of 88,530 bags of 50kg rice and 51 bags of 25kg rice, valued at N651.9 million, as well as 12,119 cartons of frozen poultry products, valued at N96.9 million.
“Within the period under review, the command intercepted 220 vehicles, valued at N4.74 billion, 5,956 parcels of narcotics/Indian Hemp weighing 16,459kg, valued at N4.74 billion and 18 containers of timber,
valued at N90 million.
“Also one 40ft container of scrap metals valued at N10 million, 3,718 cartons of medicaments such as Tramadol, Chaka pain, Codeine, rally extral of 1,000 packs, valued at N303.4 million, 498 and half sacks of Pangolin shells and 224 packs of elephant tusks, valued at N12.9 billion.
“A total of 7,375 bales of second hand clothes, valued at N763.7 million and general merchandise valued at N308.2 million were intercepted in the period under review,” Attah said in a statement.
Attah said the 189 suspects arrested in the year under review were facing trial at various courts in the country.
He said that N693.8 million was recorded from Demand Notices (DNs) on vehicles and other general goods that had evaded full payment at sea and airports through false, under-declaration or transfer of value.
FOU Zone A Customs Area Controller, Mohammed Aliyu, said the command was fully equipped to intensify the fight against smuggling, adding that no amount of distraction would deter the unit from performing its statutory responsibilities.
He advised the economic saboteurs and fraudulent importers to invest their resources in legitimate trade and desist from smuggling activities.
