Customs Intercepts Smuggled Rice, Used Vehicles, Others Worth N30bn

Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The anti-smuggling unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A yesterday said that it has intercepted smuggled foreign parboiled rice, used vehicles, textiles materials as well as Indian hemp worth over N30 billion smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.

Acting Customs Area Controller, CAC of the Uint, Zone A, Usman Yahaya (middle), and other officers of the Command displaying some of the seized items. 

Acting Customs Area Controller, CAC of the Uint, Zone A, Usman Yahaya said the contrabands were intercepted between January 1st, 2021 to date.

Investigation by Harboursandport.com revealed that the seized items came in through the porous border points manned by Seme, Idiroko, and Oyo/Osun Command of the Service.

The Customs boss said that the Unit also intercepted were fake and unregistered pharmaceuticals that worth N51million along Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State as well as Indian hemp smuggled from Ghana to Iseyin in Oyo state.

He said, "After the opening of Seme border by the Federal Government, the smugglers thought they could cash on it to perpetrate their evil act, but the unit left them with heavy losses as evidenced in the seizures."

He said a total of 142,677 seizures of different items were intercepted even as he vowed never to relent in making the environment unconducive for smugglers.

His words, "A quick glance at the period under review, the Unit intercepted and seized a total of 142,677 seizures of different items. 41,652 bags of 50kg smuggled parboiled rice from Idiroko, Ipokia, Imeko, Iseyin, Igbo-ora, and Seme; 1,356 bags of 25kg smuggled parboiled rice; 4,529kg of Indian Hemp smuggled from Ghana to Islington in Oyo State worth N710million.

Others are, 66 packs of Tramadol and other unregistered pharmaceuticals products; 5,849 cartons of fake drugs; 266 units of means of conveyance and 218 used vehicles.

Also intercepted according to the Ag. CAC are, 1,660 bales of textiles materials; 2,152 kegs of 25kg vegetable oil falsely declared at the other at the seaport of Apapa and Tin-Can Island port and 6,985 cartons of frozen poultry products, and 985 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were seized. 

The CAC who said he arrested 44 suspected smugglers advised economic saboteurs to await harder times.

His words, "We arrest 44 suspects in connection with the seizures but as a Unit, we will continue to re-strategize to ensure that smugglers don’t have a hiding place. Instead of incurring losses, I will advise smugglers to embrace legitimate business and become responsible citizens," he noted.