Lagos – Over N7.4billion have been generated from seized smuggled rice and other contraband items seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Strike Force Team Zone “A” in Lagos within a month.
The DeputyComptroller General of Customs (CGC), Strike Force, Zone ‘A’, Mohammed Yusuf, who disclosed this on Wednesday stated that his team has been able to raise the anti-smuggling battle with enhanced 24hour, round the clock patrols leading to seizures of smuggled items.
He said that the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Seven Billion, Four Hundred and Thirty Two Million, Five Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand, Seventy five Naira (N7,432,596,075), with Four (4) arrested suspects in connection with some of the seizures during the period under review.
According to DC Yusuf, the Unit anti smuggling operations is recharged against perpetrators of illegalities while assuring genuine business persons to go about their activities without worries.
“Our operational capacity received a big boost with additional new Toyota Hilux vehicles from the Comptroller-General of Customs, which provided support for suppressing smuggling, prevent revenue loss, protects environmental degradation, unlawful wildlife poaching and in all, protect the national economy.
Specifically speaking, importing what we can produce threatens our economy; unlawful felling of trees degrades the environment and promotes deforestation while illegal killing of wildlife creatures and endangered species like pangolin and donkeys for their scales and skins respectively, could lead to these animals extinction.
In Yusuf’s words: “With these and other tasks under our purview, we shall resolute and unrelenting to arrest perpetrators, seize prohibited items from them or their accomplices, and promote lawful trade using the legal instrument of the extant Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP 45LFN.
“Notable among the seized items are: seized over 8,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, equivalent of 13 trucks, 1x40ft container of Tramadol, Sildenafil citrate, 1613 bottles of 100ml Codeine,
Other seizures includes 1079 bales of secondhand clothing, 3,695 pieces of used tyres, 966 slabs of Donkey skin, 77,760 pairs of new Ladies shoes, 5,250 pairs of used shoes, 197 logs of wood.
He revealed, “Through our meticulous checks on import documents, we were able to recover the sum of N3,140,758,599 through issuance of demand notices; this was done sequel to our discoveries of short payment of duties within the period of 6 months. This amount would have been lost, but for our vigilance and uncompromising disposition in the discharge of our duties.
According to him, “Within the same period in 2021, a total collection of N1,808,316,391 was made, which shows an increase of N1,332,242,208, representing 73% of revenue increase and I want to use this opportunity to reiterate that our efforts for the second half of the rear is already invigorated, and we shall ensure that smugglers and enemies of our economy have no hiding place within our area of responsibility”.
He however advised all importers, agents, haulage operators and the entire business community operating in the South West to keep themselves abreast with the import and export prohibition lists and guidelines, as ignorance of law is not an excuse.
“This is just the beginning of heated anti smuggling action which we have embarked upon in the entire South West area of the country. We are ready to run smugglers out of town with the full support and encouragement of our CGC, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali, Rtd. This task is aimed at protecting our national economy and preventing dangerous importation as well as exportation that contradicts the law”, he remarked
