Customs impounds drums of explosives, N3.1bn contraband smuggled from Benin Republic
By Fredrick Wright
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), yesterday intercepted 42 drums of calcium carbide smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.
Security experts have warned that if calcium carbide get into hands of criminals, it can be used as explosives to bring down a building especially when some chemical components are added to it.
The Unit however noted that the service is backed by section 158 of Customs Excise and Management Act (CEMA) CAP C45,LFN 2004 as amended to patrol and search everywhere without restrictions while section 147 of the same CEMA empower the service to enter any premises without search warrant provided if there is credible information about contraband deposited there in.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, the acting Customs Area Controller of the unit, Compt. Usman Yahaya stated that aside from calcium cabide, the unit also seized contraband worth N3.1billion, raised Demand Notice (DN) worth N242million.
The CAC who said the unit acted based on credible intelligence disclosed that the explosives were smuggled into the country through the porus borders under the Ogun State command of the service.
He said, “We intercepted the 42 drums of calcium carbide through intelligence gathering. The contrabands were in a truck and concealed with cassava tubers and flakes. They thought with the concealment, they can evade the eagle eye of our officers.”
“The explosives were intercepted at Sango – Ota axis and then, we know the items are coming from Benin Republic through the unapproved routes. Calcium carbide is on the list of contrabands because it is dangerous to the nation if it get to the hands of bad elements.”
Yahaya disclosed that the unit has setup investigation to know where the explosives are headed but sure it was meant for a dangerous adventure.
“The calcium cabide weight 106KG in 42 drums with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N105million. I can assure you that the smugglers have no good intention because if they did, they wouldn’t have concealed and smuggled it through the border.”
“Everyone should be worried about smuggling because it begets unemployment, drug addiction, criminality, proliferating of light and small arms, substandard goods, and so on. You can imagine what would have happened if 42 drums of Carbide (explosives) had entered wrong hands,” he said.
Speaking further, the CAC said the unit also intercepted 1,488 kegs (equivalent of 33,000 litres) of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) set to be smuggled out of the country to neighboring Benin Republic.
According to him, other seizures range from bags of rice, Indian hemp, textiles material, cartons of tramadol, second hand clothing among others.
He said, “Within the period of 9th February, 2021 till date, the Unit recorded seizures of 20,538 bags of foreign parboiled rice; 3,106 cartons of frozen poultry product; 1,488 kegs of PMS at 25 litres each; 1,035 bales of second-hand clothing.
Others are, “77 cartons of tin tomatoes; 2,843.6 kg of Indian Hemp; 877 bundles of printed wax/textile materials; 29 different brands of used vehicles; 2,969 cartons of Eva soap; 42 drums of calcium carbide (explosives); 549 cartons of Tramadol and 12 units of used motorcycles with DPV of N 3.1billion.
“In the area of interventions regarding Demand Notices arising from under-payments, the unit realized N242million during the period under review,” he said.
