Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted Indian Hemp, imported foreign rice, used cloths, Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and others worth over N2.8 billion within six weeks.
Disclosing this at a press briefing yesterday, the Acting Controller of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, also said that two prime suspects masterminded the attack and killing of two Customs officers in Ogun State recently.
Ejibunu said the seizures were as a result of credible intelligence,
indicating that contraband items were stored in a warehouse where the expired
drinks were seized
The unit according to him made the seizure to prevent unsuspecting
Nigerians from consuming the products since the items could be sold out during the
yuletide period.
Other seized items, according to him, includes 13,342 bags of 50 kilograms
of smuggled parboiled rice; 175 sacks of used shoes; 285 cartons of
Basmati rice; 464 cartons of tomato paste, and 694 bales of second-hand
clothing.
He noted that other seizures include
5,413 cartons of medicaments without NAFDAC numbers or certification; 907
kilograms of Indian hemp (Cannabis sativa); 1,224 cartons of frozen poultry
products;148 pieces of used compressor; 5x20ft containers of wood (rough and
semi-processed) meant for export which causes deforestation in Nigeria
and 2x40ft containers of charcoal – meant for export
He also disclosed that 1,111 kegs of PMS at 25 liters each – meant
to be smuggled to neigbhouring countries thereby creating artificial fuel
scarcity in Nigeria; 177 kegs of vegetable oil at 25 liters each; 231 pieces of
used tyres; 56 units of used fridges; 28 units of used motorcycles 59 vehicles
used as means of conveyance.
Within the period, Ejibunu said the command made revenue from its
intervention and will continually confront smugglers proactively as yuletide
approaches
He said "On the recovery of lost revenues, the revenue generated within
the period under review through our interventions is put at N 104,377,682.25
"This period of the year usually has the tradition of springing
high-level smuggling activities all over the country with particular reference
to South West Zone that I superintend.
"Being very much aware of the foregoing known facts, this Unit
proactively marshaled out strategies to put the activities of smugglers in
check. The application of these strategies, which for security reasons are not
to be made public, provoked the avalanche of seizures showcased today.
"I must unequivocally state that the smugglers themselves keep
devising new tactics to beat our operatives to it inclusive of readiness to
eliminate officers. We are never deterred by their antics. We remain committed
to the mandate given to us by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) –
Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and his Management.
"The tremendous support the Unit has enjoyed and is still enjoying
cannot be overemphasized. Just 2 weeks ago, the CGC provided 16 new operational
Hilux vehicles for the Unit; a Largesse that has never been enjoyed by the
Unit. Besides the provision of operational vehicles, the CGC pays very close
attention to the
"performance by the Unit which has translated into always sending
Letters of Commendation to the Unit. Of course, to whom much is given, much is
expected. The spirit of officers at the moment is quite high as expressed in
the following seizure:
"The aforementioned seizures are informed by sheer contravention of
relevant extant laws and for purposes of public enlightenment, the Federal
Government has since banned the importation of rice across land borders. Under
Schedule 4 of the Common External Tariff which covers Absolute Prohibition List
of goods by importation, Secondhand clothing falls on Item 17. Under Schedule 3
which is Revised Import Prohibition List, Used tyre is under Item 16, Frozen
Poultry Product is on Item 1, Vegetable Oil on Item 4, and unprocessed wood for
export fall under Schedule 6 Item 4.
"For any contravention of the extant laws, Customs officers are
empowered to seize under Sections 46 and 64 of CEMA. Section 47 of CEMA also
empowers Customs officers to prosecute offenders and sentence them to 5 years
in jail without an option of fine" the Acting Controller said
A total of 41 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures and
23 of them have been granted administrative bail
For the arrested prime suspects in the murder of Customs officers
between 11th September and 26th of October, 2021, r one was arrested on the
11th of November, 2021, the other was arrested today, December 2
The import of these arrests, according to the Acting Controller is that
smugglers will no longer kill officers and get away with it, no matter how long
it will take to get them arrested
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