Customs FOU intercepts N99 million contrabands in Zone C
By Abimbola Abdullahi
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ Owerri, has seized contraband goods with a duty paid value (DPV) of N99.9 million between April and June, 2021..
The Public Relations Officer, FOU ‘C’, Jerry Attah, in a statement to SlyeNews said the seizure was as a result of strengthened anti-smuggling operations.
Attah said, five suspects were arrested in connection to the seizures, which include 45 rolls containing 4,500 sachets of 225mg of royal brand of tramadol.
Other seizures include: 210 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice; 18 parcels of Indian Hemp; 19, 725 sachets of Dizapam tablet; 98 bales of used clothing; 220 cartons of foreign tomatoes paste; 12 cartons of foreign Johnson soap; 240 pieces of used tyres; 668 pairs of used shoes; among others mostly intercepted along Okada-Benin/Lagos expressway.
The Comptroller, FOU, Zone ‘C’, Yusuf Lawal reiterated that even though smuggling is a global phenomenon that cannot be eradicated entirely, all hands to be on deck so that it could be reduced to its barest minimum in Nigeria.
Lawal commended the resilience and doggedness of his officers and men that brought about this result noting that, “only God knows what would have happened if the tramadol gets to the wrong hand at this trying moment as the negative consequences can not be over-emphasized”.
He thanked the sister agencies that are always on ground giving us the necessary operational support, most especially the Nigeria Army, Police, DSS among others and look forward to sustaining such relationship that will yield better performance in the remaining half of the year.