The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ (FOUC) has seized an armoured Lexus LX570 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) without End User Certificate and other contraband goods worth N318,154,742 million.
Mr Ali Ibrahim, the FOUC Comptroller said this while showcasing the seized items as he addressed Journalists in Owerri, Imo State on Thursday.
Ibrahim listed other seized items to include eight other vehicles worth N158,734,742million and 294 bags of foreign parboiled rice concealed with RC minerals worth N11,760,000million.
A statement issued by Public Relations Officer, FOUC, Jerry Attah explained that other seized items were 304 pieces of used tyres worth N4,560,000million, 657 jumbo bales of used clothing worth N131,400,000million and 32,500 litres of Automotive Gas Oil popularly known as Diesel concealed in 650 jumbo sacks worth N11,700,000million.
Ibrahim said that the seized goods were intercepted along different routes which include the Umuikaa/Aba, Okada/Benin, Benin/Auchi and Enugu/Ubollo roads with seven suspects arrested.
He thanked the Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) for his logistics support to the Zone and pledged to justify the confidence reposed on him.
He urged Nigerians to support the Service in its advocacy against smuggling while warning smugglers to stay off the South-East and South-South geo-political zones, his areas of jurisdiction.
He also thanked men and officers of FOUC for their gallantry in the face of challenging assignments and restated his unwavering commitment to their welfare.
His words: ” We recorded this sterling feat between Oct. 14, 2021 when I took over as FOUC Comptroller and Nov. 13, 2021 largely due to the leadership style of the Comptroller-General and the entire management team of the Service.
” We pledge to continue justifying the incentives and logistics support we receive which includes a recent additional supply of 10 Toyota Hilux vehicles which are already being used in our patrol and surveillance activities.
” We urge the general public to join the service in the advocacy against the peril of smuggling to the Nation’s economy.
” We also warn economic saboteurs who will want to use this festive season for their nefarious activities to desist from such illegal business.
” No matter how surreptitious their activities may be, this unit is more determined and committed to ensure unwavering implementation of the Government’s fiscal policy “, he said.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) yesterday, sealed a plastic company and arrested three persons for producing harmful plastics.
According to the Director General, SON, Farouk Salim, the enforcement exercise was part of the efforts by the agency to reduce to the barest minimum, sub-standard and harmful products being circulated across the country.
He stated that the agency’s Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) makes it quite clear the standard requirements for locally manufactured plastic products, adding that the erring company has been producing plastic products below standards parameters.
The three arrested suspects have been subsequently taken to the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Alagbon for further interrogation.
The plastic company situated along Oworonshoki-Oshodi expressway, Lagos was alleged to have refused the officers of the SON to carry out inspection on the company’s illegal activities.
The Head of the SON Surveillance team, Sulaiman Isa while briefing newsmen said he was disappointed to find out that the owner of the plastic company was among the technical committee members that reviewed the standards for plastic and food packaging products.
Isa noted that the standard for production of plastics is stipulated in the SON MANCAP, adding that it is extremely wrong for any manufacturer to use hazardous plastics for recycling.
On his part, another SON official, Ayodele Omotosho stated that all efforts to gain entry into the company’s premises were blocked by its management.
Meanwhile, the owner of the company refused to give explanation on why the SON team was not allowed to inspect the company among other allegations
