Harboursandport.com: Lagos--- The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ has intercepted goods with a duty paid value (DPV) of N4,004,258,331.52 between January to December 2017.
Making this known in Lagos, the Controller of the unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba said that through the intensified efforts of men of the Command, N1,956,022,531.65 was recovered from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to beat the system from seaports, airport and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria, making a cumulative of 5,960,280,863.00 in the year 2017.
Mohammed stated that amongst the goods intercepted are foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, arms, fake pharmaceutical/medicaments and various general merchandise.
according to him, "Despite the challenges in 2017, we have recorded the highest seizures and revenue so far in the history of Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja. However, 179 suspects have been arrested in connection to these 1,046 different seizures” Mohammed added.
The Customs boss however attributed this feat to leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire Management Team of the Nigeria Customs Service for their efforts and support in recognizing hard work and putting the right machineries in place for the success of this feat.
“Without the Management motivation and necessary logistic support, we won’t have achieved this feat within this period” Mohammed said.
Similarly, the Mohammed also commended the efforts of all security and sister agencies which includes the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police,National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and Standard Organisation Of Nigeria, SON; who rendered logistics support and cooperation towards winning the war against smuggling within the southwest zone.
Mohammed however solicited for the support of the entire citizen of Nigeria in tackling smuggling of goods into the country. He further warned smugglers and their accomplices to desist from such illegality and invest their money in legitimate business, as the Unit has devised other operational modalities that give them a run for their money and count their losses, if not jailed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government policy banning the importation of Vehicles and Rice through the land borders is still in force and we are ever ready and equipped to enforce these polices to the latter” Mohammed concluded.
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