By Giwa SHILE
The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja, said it intercepted contraband with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N2.05 billion within two weeks.
The Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, made this known to newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.
Uba said the unit also recovered N67.4 million through various interventions, and that 25 seizures were made between July 25 and Aug. 7.
He noted that eight suspects were arrested in connection with the 10 seizures which included vehicles, second hand shoes and bags, vegetable oil, pangolin scales, elephant tusks, Indian hemp, tramadol, rice and Chaka pain Xtra.Uba gave the breakdown of the seizures as: 1,380 bags of foreign parboiled rice; 1,126 pieces of shoes; and 140 Jerry cans of vegetables oil.
He said seven Toyota Land cruisers; two Toyota buses and four Toyota Camry cars with a DPV of N384.2 million were seized.
He urged owners of the seized vehicles to come forward to claim them with valid Customs Clearance Documents (CCD), otherwise they would be forfeited to the Federal Government.
“The command also intercepted a diesel Truck with registration number XB 286 BEN at Afromedia Estate, Egbeda junction beside Alaba International Market.
“It contained 2, 748 cartons of DSP Codeine Cough Syrup and 95 cartons of Chaka pain Xtra based on information.
“It is the second time in a row the unit is intercepting the above drugs since the Federal Government banned the importation of cough syrup that contains codeine.
“Forty nine cartons of tramadol capsules were also evacuated from a warehouse in Ajao Estate based on information,” said Uba.
According to him, the DPV of all the drugs stood at N1.175 billion.
The controller said a Ford transit bus with Registration No XL32452L was also intercepted at Olorunda axis of Ogun containing 39 sacks of 1,220 parcels of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp).
He said Section 147 of Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA), Cap 45, law of the Federation 2004 empowers NCS to search premises and also Section 158 of CEMA Cap 45 empowers NCS to patrol freely.
According to him, the products will be handed over to the National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation.
“We will continue to make sure smugglers within our areas of jurisdiction count their losses, until they repent from sabotaging our economy, ” he said.
Uba commended the officers and men of the command for putting their lives on the line in ensuring the seizures.
