By Fredrick Wright
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ (FOUC) has seized an armoured Lexus LX570 jeep without End User Certificate and other contraband worth about N318.1 million in one month.
Comptroller, FOUC, Ali Ibrahim, while showcasing the seized items urged Nigerians to support the Customs in its quest against smuggling, warned smugglers to stay off the South-East and South-South geo-political zones, his areas of jurisdiction.
Ibrahim listed other seized items to include eight other vehicles worth N158.7million and 294 bags of foreign parboiled rice concealed with RC soft drinks worth N11.7million.
Other seized items were 304 pieces of used tyres worth N4.5 million, 657 jumbo bales of used clothing worth N131.4 million and 32,500 litres of Automotive Gas Oil popularly known as Diesel concealed in 650 jumbo sacks worth N11.7 million.
Ibrahim said that the seized goods were intercepted along different routes, which include the Umuikaa/Aba, Okada/Benin, Benin/Auchi and Enugu/Ubollo roads with seven suspects arrested.
He thanked the Comptroller-General, Hameed Ali for his logistics support to the Zone and pledged to justify the confidence reposed on him.
His words: “We pledge to continue justifying the incentives and logistics support we receive which includes a recent additional supply of 10 Toyota Hilux vehicles which are already being used in our patrol and surveillance activities.
“We also warn economic saboteurs who will want to use this festive season for their nefarious activities to desist from such illegal business.
“No matter how surreptitious their activities may be, this unit is more determined and committed to ensure unwavering implementation of the Government’s fiscal policy “, he said.
