The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oyo/ Osun Command on Wednesday, said it has intercepted no fewer than two thousand, five hundred and forty (2,540) bags of foreign parboiled rice illegally smuggled into the country since the closure of Nigerian borders.
DAILY POST gathered that the federal government of Nigeria had in August closed Nigerian land borders in a bid to strengthened the country’s economy.
But, the Customs Area Controller, Mr. Abdullahi Zulkifli Argungu, while addressing journalists at the command’s headquarters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, maintained that the command, since the closure of the borders, had intercepted 12 Tokunbo vehicles, 12 means of conveyance, 15 bags of Sugar, 3 motorcycles, 40 bales of second hand clothes and shoe and 500 used tyres apart from the 2,540 bags of seized rice.
Other seized items according to him included, one thousand and forty SK blocks with one hundred and one bags of Cannabis Sativa with duty paid value put at one hundred and fifty-nine million and seventy thousand (159,070,000.00) arrested on 29th September 2019.
Argungu maintained that the total duty paid value of the seized items is put at one hundred and forty-two million, eight hundred and ninety-six thousand, one hundred and thirteen naira (N142,896,113.00k).
While speaking further, Argungu added that the command generated the sum of thirty-four billion, six hundred and eighty-six million, eight hundred and seventy-five thousand, nine hundred and sixty-seven naira and eighty kobo (34,686,875,967.80) between January and December this year.
He said, “No doubt that, despite the partial border closure, some recalcitrant ones still finds other means of perpetuating smuggling especially as the Yuletide approaches. Our officers are and will always be on the watch for them at all times.
“Since the commencement of the exercise till date, the command was able to record some seizures, the most remarkable and striking of them was a seizure of one thousand and forty SK blocks with one hundred and one bags of Cannabis Sativa with duty paid value put at one hundred and fifty-nine million and seventy thousand (159,070,000.00) arrested on 29th September 2019.
“Others seizures include; 2,540 Foreign parboiled rice, 12 Tokunbo Vehicles, 25 means of conveyance, 15 bags of Sugar, 3 motorcycles 40 bales of second hand clothes and shoe, 500 pieces of tyres. Total duty paid value of all the seized items is put at one hundred and forty-two million, eight hundred and ninety-six thousand, one hundred and thirteen naira (142,896,113.00).
“Most of these goods were conveyed and concealed in trucks and vehicles meant for carrying out legitimate businesses and conveyance of commuters but used to perpetuate these evil acts.
“The command has been doing very well in the area of revenue collection which comes purely from excise factories and few imports. While we have been able to collect the sum of thirty-four billion, six hundred and eighty-six million, eight hundred and seventy-five thousand, nine hundred and sixty-seven naira and eighty kobo (34,686,875,967.80).
“During the same period, the command made a total of three hundred and thirteen (313) seizures with a duty paid value of five hundred and eighteen million, five hundred and ninety thousand, four hundred and thirteen naira (518,590,413.00).
“Twenty four (24) suspects were arrested in connection to these seizures, twenty one are on administrative bail, one charged to court and two convicted.”
