The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service said it intercepted 8,309 bags of foreign parboiled rice equivalent to 14 trailers and other contrabands with duty paid value of N746m in April.
Addressing journalists at the unit in Ikeja last week, the Acting Customs Area Controller in charge of the unit, Hussein Ejibunnu, said that 10 suspects were also arrested within the period under review.
He also said that the unit intercepted 2,428 litres of petroleum motor spirit within the period under review.
Ejibunnu added that the unit also seized 221 cartons of foreign frozen poultry.
“Others include “221 cartons of foreign frozen poultry, 486 parcels of Indian Hemp, four units of foreign used vehicles, 111 pieces of used tyres, 10 bales of used clothing, eight sacks of used shoes”.
“In our continuous quest to prevent revenue loss through various infractions such as under-valuation, under-payments, and wrong classification, the sum of N67m was collected following the issuance of demand notices to defaulters,” he explained.
Ejibunnu, however, added that the unit, through the Federal High Court, secured eight convictions in the last 10 months, adding that 48 different cases were at various stages of prosecution.
“While the smugglers planned to take us unaware during the religious festivities, our round-the-clock patrols were sustained and backed with intelligence even during the public holidays. Interestingly, the outcome of our unrelenting onslaught against smuggling is the remarkable drop evident in the number of seizures recorded with zero casualties,” he further stated.
He added that the unit had taken enlightenment to the public in different ways, including enlisting the assistance of traditional rulers, community leaders and the media.
“Thus, anyone that puts in his savings or obtains a loan to invest in any illegitimate business will have to contend with the attendant consequences of such choices, when the law will take its natural course. No matter the mouth-watering returns people expect to make from smuggling, they should have it at the back of their minds that they stand the risk of losing their investment, prosecuted and jailed,” he counselled.
