Customs FOU collects N2.05bn in first quarter 2017

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, has collected a total of N2,050,930,137.90 in the first quarter of the year from it anti-smuggling operations.

Seized Poultry products

The Customs Unit intercepted various contrabands and other goods on detention with a duty paid value, DPV, of One Billion, Forty Five Million, Four Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira only (N1,045,412,950) during the period under review.

The Customs Unit which is the anti-smuggling arm of the Service, also through its interventions recovered N1,005,517,187.90 from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to beat the system from seaports, airport and border stations in the guise of false declaration, transfer of value, and short-changing in duty payment.

The combination of both brought the total revenue collected to N2,050,930,137.90.

 A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Jerry Attah, gave a breakdown of 293 items seized as 22,489 bags of 50 kg of foreign parboiled rice, 7,376 frozen poultry products, 325 jerry cans and 165 cartons of vegetable oil, seven units of smuggled vehicles, 661 piece of pump action rifles, 5,985 cartons of fake pharmaceutical/medicaments and other various general merchandise.

Other items intercepted include new & used textile materials, new & used foot wears, mosquito insecticide, Bonita Spaghetti, various soap/detergents/toiletries and compressors.

He quoted Controller of the Command, Haruna Mamudu, to have commended commended officers and men for the feat in this first quarter of 2017 despite the economic recession, as he concern why some elements would invest their money in business of illegalities knowing full well that the law could catch up with them any given time.

The Customs boss appealed to all well meaning Nigerians to join the Service in the fight against smuggling which has wrecked a lot of havoc on the nation’s economy, charged all officers and men of the Unit to be professional and diligent in performing their statutory responsibilities; especially in the area of anti-smuggling operations by ensuring all revenue linkages are blocked.