Federal Operations Units, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos has arrested 103 smugglers in connection with N7.12billion contraband.
The Acting Controller of the unit, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu noted that the seizures were made for contravention of different Customs offences, saying that the borders were reopened for legitimate businesses.
He listed the seized items to include: 45,928 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, equivalent to 77 trailer loads and 265,830 litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
Other seizures are 2,933 bales of used clothes, 233 cartons of Tramadol (225mg each) and 83 packs of 225mg 65 units of used vehicles, 14,784 pieces of used tyres, 119 units of used motorcycles, 3,659.05 kg of Indian hemp.
He said: “Goods seized within the first six months of the year are worth a cumulative duty paid value of Seven billion, One Hundred and Sixteen Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty-two Thousand, Fifty Naira N7.12 billion.
“The sum of N577.8 million was collected as revenue derived from underpayments.”
The acting controller urged Importers, agents and the general public to be acquainted with the Federal Government’s fiscal policiesaddingng the Customs extant regulations as well as the import and export prohibition lists for proper guidance.
Ejibunu said that the servi was ready to push the smugglers and their sponsors into bankruptcy.
commended the doggedness of the officers of this Unit; whose diligence to duty had earned the great feat achieved between January-June 2022).
Ejibunu stressed: “The achievements I am about to inundate you with are the results of our officers’ meticulous documentary checks in ensuring that identified revenue leakages are plugged. Successes recorded in the anti-smuggling drives are products of sustained vigilance and intelligence deployment within the ports and border corridors. I must also commend personnel’s professionalism in compliance with the extant regulations.
The acting controller added at the entire success of the unit was premised on the improved logistics supplied by the management of the service headquarters, inter-agency collaboration with sister security agencies, esteemed stakeholders, as well as patriotic citizens for providing useful and timely information.
