Customs FOU ‘A’ Arrests 9 in connection with Goods Worth N1.24bn in October

Seizes 7,381 units of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 593 Jerrycans of PMS

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Federal Operations Unit(FOU) Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) has arrested nine suspects in connection with some seizures worth one billion, two hundred and forty one million, seven hundred and seventy seven thousand, seven hundred naira only (N1,241,777,700) Duty Paid Value(DPV).

Speaking at a media briefing held today at the Unit to showcase the goods intercepted for October, Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu disclosed this while reeling out the list of seizures.

According to him, “Rice has been a recurring commodity in the list of seizures across various borders in the southwest zone and the Unit has seized a total of 7,381 units of 50kg foreign parboiled rice from smugglers which amounted to almost thirteen trailer loads of rice in the South West region. 

"A total of seventeen vehicles were also seized from smugglers who wanted to circumvent the law by evading duty payment, 593 jerrycans (14,825 litres) of premium motor spirit was also intercepted Because of the volatility of this product, we have safely disposed them in line with laid down rules."

Other seizures made are 657 pieces of used tyres, 167 (202 kg) parcels of Indian hemp, 39 bales of second hand-clothing, 100 packs of tomato ketchup, 4 units of used motorcycle, 600 cartons of GIV soap and 730 sacks of hide and skin hidden in a 1x40 container equivalent to 5,033 pieces.

In view of the number of vehicles seized by the Unit, Ejibunu restated that the ban on vehicle importation through land borders still subsists and smugglers should desist from its importation.

However, the continuous quest to prevent revenue loss through various infractions such as; under-valuation, under-payments, and wrong classification, the sum of N115,456,534.94 was collected by the Unit following the issuance of demand notices to defaulters.” 

He noted that  deployment of the improved logistics supplied by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir A Adeniyi MFR; provision of strategic manpower placements to the Unit officers has made the drive to suppress smuggling easy and "the unit shall sustain efforts towards deploying the strategies continuously," he said. 

The Ag. Controller further read out riot act to all smugglers on the forth coming yuletide saying, "I  want to state that this Unit of the Service under my watch will make the remaining part of 2023 and beyond tough for smugglers in the interest of our country. We are ready to intercept them and frustrate their antics of concealment, illegal route passage, false declaration and under declaration. In addition, we are also determined to implement all the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, including the various penalties attached to offences while striving to ensure that perpetrators face the full wrath of the laws."