The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos has has recorded 152 seizures with a Duty Paid Value of N334,042,396.
Briefing Journalists in Lagos on Wednesday, Customs Area Controller of the Command, Uba Garba Mohammed explained that the FOU also rediscovered N273,657,138 from duty payments and demand notices on goods which tried to beat the system, cumulatively bringing the revenue to N607,717,535 between April 1 to June 12, 2017.
Already, he said 10 suspects are in custody, adding that some of the seizures included vegetable oil, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, used tyres and other merchandise.
He said: “You will agree with me that smuggling is a global phenomenon, which cannot be curbed entirely, but can be brought to its barest minimum” the FOU Controller warned smugglers to stay off his jurisdiction, highlighting that officers of the Command were daily getting better at unravelling smugglers’ tricks despite their increasing dexterity and adventurism.
“Recently and above all was the interception of 384 parcels of Indian hemp concealed inside six bales of second hand clothing from Ghana, along Iyana- Ipaja Road, based on information.
“In the spirit of inter agency relationship, the suspect and the content will be handed over to the NDLEA for prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction to serve as deterrent to others.
“Notably, based on information and after physical examination, we have seized five containers that contravened Customs law by means of false declaration and breach of import prohibition list trade.
“While two of the containers carried 4,982 pieces of used tyres; the other containers carried 1,292 pieces of general calcium vehicle batteries; piston and rings, compressors; as against Pneumatic transmission valves and cylinder linear, declared in their Single Good Declaration (SGDs).
“This act of false declaration falls under section 46 (f) of CEMA Cap C45 LFN 2004, which is tantamount to outright seizure. One of the containers was also loaded with unprocessed rough wood ready for export”, said Comptroller Mohammed.
