Customs seizes goods worth N1.66bn in 6 months
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operation Unit, FOU Zone ‘B’ Kaduna, has disclosed that it has made 645 seizures worth Duty Paid Value, DPV of N1, 668,014,050.00 from January to June, 2020 as against 425 seizures with DPV of N762, 051,950.00 recorded within the same period in 2019.
The Comptroller FOU Zone ‘B’ Mustafa Sarkin-Kebbi who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in Kaduna gave a breakdown of the various seizures made within the period under review.
Seized items from January – June 2020 include 157 vehicles, 6,340 (50kg) bags of foreign parboiled rice, 2,276 kegs of vegetable oil, 2,352 cartons of spaghetti/macaroni, 162 bags of foreign sugar, 1,324 cartons of soap, 1,713 bales of textile materials, 14 cartons of mosquitoes coil, 394 cartons of various pharmaceuticals, 298 cartons of tomatoes paste, 270 pieces of used tyres 1,167 bags of NPK fertilizers, 291 kegs of PMS, 484 parcels of India hemp.
In the same development, he said the revenue collected from smuggled vehicles from Jan-Mar 2020 amounted to N2,030,455,802.00 (Two billion, Thirty million, Four hundred and fifty-five thousand, Eight hundred and two naira).
According to the customs FOU zone ‘B’ boss, from January -June 2019, the total number of seizure is 424 which include 153 vehicle, 6,618 bags of parboiled foreign rice, 820 cartons of spaghetti, 167 bags of sugar, 856 kegs of vegetable oil secondhand clothing = 147 bales of second hand clothing, 634 pieces of used tyres, 1,680 cartons of medicament with DPV of N762, 051,950.
The comptroller said the successes achieved did not come without challenges which include attack on the personnel of the unit by bandits and kidnappers allegedly engaged by the smugglers for them to have their way easily.
He commended the synergy with sister agencies, especially the Nigerian Army which lead to unconditional release of two (2) kidnapped Customs personnel at Batsari
“One officer in the line of duty was shot dead by bandits and 4 others recorded various degree of injury in the course of operations while Eighteen (18) defendants have been arrested in connection with the aforementioned seizures and are being prosecuted accordingly.
He called on the public to assist them with relevant information that will help to checkmate the activities of the smugglers who are causing economic sabotage to the government.