WED, JULY 05 2023-theGBJournal |The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, has made 580 Seizures worth N4,022,960,075 within the first six months of 2023.
The Acting Comptroller in charge of the unit, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu made this known today 5th July, 2023 while briefing newsmen on the activities of the unit within the period.
He noted that the anti-smuggling activities of the unit resulted in high volume and value of seizures which led to the arrest of 60 suspects.
Prominent among the seizures is rice which amounts to 36,742 of 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice equivalent to 62 trailer loads.
According to the Acting Comptroller, some of them were ferried through bush paths using motorcycles and rickety vehicles as means of conveyance.
Also notable among other seizures include; 14,015 Parcels (7,728 bags) of Cannabis Sativa, 1,064 bales of used clothing, 450 x 106 kg drums of carbide, 2 x 20 containers of unprocessed wood, 1,448 pieces of foreign rugs, 30 units of used motorcycles, 44 units of used vehicles (Tokunbo), 218,575 litres of premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 860 cartons of foreign poultry products and 833 pieces of used tyres.
He said, “Within the first six months of the year, our activities resulted in a high volume and value of seizures with some suspects arrested. We also succeeded in preventing the entry of dangerous or harmful substances like illicit drugs into the society”.
“For the period under review, we made 580 seizures, we also arrested 60 suspects and recovered a total of N400,599,515.66 as revenue through the issuance of demand notices”, he added.
“Through the Federal High Courts, 11 suspects were convicted for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export. While some other smuggling and related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently”, he explained.
DC Ejibunu appreciated sister Agencies for the synergy in the course of the Unit’s operations, while also reiterating the unit’s renewed determination to uncover smugglers through intelligence-backed enforcement.
“We wish to express our profound gratitude to sister Security Agencies for their unflinching synergy in the course of our operations; special mention to the Department of State Security Services, Oyo State Command for the arrest of a notorious suspect that was on the Wanted List for attack on a Customs Patrol Team escorting exhibits. Interestingly, this suspect was arrested and handed over to the Unit yesterday”, he said.
“Let me reiterate that for the second half of 2023, our onslaught against smugglers will be fiercer with a renewed determination to uncover them using intelligence-backed enforcement. We shall get recalcitrant traders and their agents arrested and prosecuted in addition to seizing their wares”, he emphasized.
“At this point, members of the trading community are advised to further embrace compliance and shun any act that would place them on the wrong side of the law. We advise them to keep themselves abreast of the import and export prohibition lists because claims of ignorance will not suffice as an excuse whenever they are caught”, he concluded.
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