No fewer than 64 exotic vehicles including two bullet proofs have been intercepted by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) during its anti-smuggling operations.
This is even has the Unit generated about N17 billion from importers between January to June 2020.
While contrabands intercepted from smugglers terrorising the South West states of the country include; used vehicles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, foreign parboiled rice, tomato paste, second hand clothing among others, debit notes were raised on importers who under-declared their cargoes for lesser Customs duty.
The Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Ag. Compt. Usman Yahaya said N15.6 billion was generated from contrabands seized from smugglers, while N1.4 billion were raised from wrong classification, transfer of value and false declaration of cargoes.
He said: “The total duty paid value of N15.6 billion were premised on seized contrabands while the N1.3 billion were revenue from the unit interventions arising from wrong classifications, transfer of value and false declarations by importers. So, a total of N17 billion was recovered for the federal government in the period under review.”
According to him, the unit also intercepted a truck load of banned textile materials worth N565 million imported from Benin Republic.
He also disclosed that 18,760 bags of foreign parboiled rice smuggled into the country from Benin Republic and 64 units of exotic vehicles were intercepted and detained for duty evasion and under payment were intercepted.
He said, “A quick glance at our spectacular seizure reports from 7th January, 2020, showed; 64 exotic vehicles including two bullet proofs; 18,760 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice valued at N469 million; 1,338kg of Indian Hemp N201million; and 147 sacks (9,504kg) of Pangolin scales worth N10.4 billion.
“Others are 3,059 cartons of tomato paste; 10,653 cartons of frozen poultry products; 5,423 kegs of 25 litres each of vegetable oil; 56,472 bundles of Printed Textiles valued at N565million; 66 packs of Tramadol; 872 bales of second hand clothing worth N61million; 11,077 cartons of frozen products worth N177million.”
Also intercepted are 5,423 kegs of vegetable oil valued at N87 million; 7,549 jerry cans of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at N27 million; five containers load of pharmaceuticals valued at N3 billion, 64 units of motorcycles used for smuggling valued at N565million among others.
Yahaya however warned smugglers to embrace legitimate business as the unit is ready to send them out of illegitimate business.
He also disclosed that the seizure was borne out of intelligence and hard work of eagle eye officers of the unit.
“My message to smugglers is that they should stop smuggling and embrace legitimate business because the unit is ready to run them out of business,” he warned.
He continued, “we are always a step ahead of them through intelligence gathering and steadfastness. We won’t get tired until the service suppressed smuggling finally from the South West,” he said.
