The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘B’ says it has seized various goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N62.6 million in the past one week.
Mustafa Sarkin-Kebbi, the Controller of Custom in charge of the Zone, stated this at a news conference on Tuesday in Kaduna.
Sarkin-Kebbi disclosed that a truck concealed with 802 bags of beans and foreign rice was confiscated in its area of operation.
He listed other seized items to include 1,068 cartons of tomatoes paste; 149 bales of second hand clothes and 74 Kegs of vegetable oil.
Meanwhile, the controller handed over 3, 790 cartons of unregistered pharmaceuticals and drugs evacuated in Zaria sometime in 2019 to the National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Sarkin-Kebbi revealed that the drugs were evacuated from six warehouses at a premises of a block factory in Zaria, Kaduna State.
He said that the seizure was based on intelligence gathering, adding that the drugs were transferred to the appropriate agency for necessary action.
“The procedure process prompted the delay, the results confirmed it wasn’t registered after laboratory analysis.
“The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), directed that unregistered drugs be transferred to NAFDAC for further action, which is an unrelenting effort of the unit to checkmate smuggling area within its jurisdiction.
“We will never rest and we will make sure that any where they are we will get them. I advise smugglers to embrace legitimate business,” he said.
The controller reiterated commitment of the Service to check smuggling in its area of operations.
Also speaking, Dauda Gimba, NAFDAC’s Director in charge of Northwest Zone, expressed appreciation over the harmonious working relationship between the Agency and the NCS.
Gimba, represented by Mrs Mukosolu Nzekwe, Assistant Director in the Agency, pledged continued partnership with the Service to check circulation of substandard drugs.
