Customs raises alarm over importation of expired rice

By Victoria Silvanus
Harboursandports: Lagos --- The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised an alarm over the importation of expired rice into the country through neighbouring land borders. The rice said the expired rice are usually bought at 10 percent of their actual cost because the product are deem not suitable for consumption by the citizens of those countries.

Making this known in Lagos yesterday, Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Western Marine Command, Sarkin-Kebbi Mustapha, said these products arrival at the neighbouring ports, are rebagged and the expiring date changed before being smuggled into the country.
According to him, "If you know the amount of foreign exchange we spend in buying this rice, you  will cry for  the country, why should you spend money to bring sometimes that is harmful to you and your people? Some of this imported rice you see are even expired, their countries of origin sell it to them at cheap rate of 10 percent of it's original price because it has expired they only bing it to the neighboring countries to rebag it and change date then smuggle it into Nigeria."
Meanwhile, the Command intercepted 83,250 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly known as petrol smuggled through the creeks and illegal routes within its area of operation.
Mustapha, who disclosing this in Lagos, said the command seizured 705 jerry cans of  20 litres of the product  on 20 of January 2018 along Yekem creeks, following information that the smugglers were about to evacuate the product.
According to the Customs boss, "This Is not the first  time we have made such seizure. In may, we seized 66 kegs of 20 litres, valued at N191, 400 along Aseke creeks, in October we made  another seizure of 1740 kegs of 20 litres valued at N640, 000 along Gbao and Yekeme creeks respectively and lastly in  November, another seizure was made at Yekeme of about  950 kegs of 20 litres valued at N344,375."
A statement by the command's Public Relations Officer (PRO), Tangwa, quoted Mustapha to have further disclosed that these people normally go to filling station at midnight to fill the jerry cans which they transport across the border to neighboring countries.
The Western Marine Customs boss explained that January of seizure is significant because it is at a time  the nation is experiencing petroleum scarcity. "It is so ungodly and callous for anybody to do this we are in scarcity since begining of December." He stressed that the Command will continue to carry out their duty and contribute their qouter to the development of the country ensuring that all ruotes through the creeks used forvsmuggling are blocked.
He also disclosed that today, 26th of January is the World Customs day, and the Theme for this year is "secure Business Environment for Economic  Development makes it imperative that the Service stay focus to actualise it.
Why warning smugglers to look for other legal means of livelihood, he expressed surprise that these people keep bringing in rice that can be locally produced.
The CAC further disclosed the  another seizure of 195 bail  of second hand cloths was made on the 4th of January from smugglers at Alaba jetty, with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N20 milion. Importation second hand cloths is prohibited bybtye federal government, since most of these cloths you don't know who use it and could be harmful to ones life.