The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, on Wednesday said it recorded a total of 144 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.3 billion in the month of June 2021.
The unit said the seizures were being smuggled into the country through unapproved routes by criminal minded people with the intention of sabotaging the nation’s economy.
Usman Bello Yahaya, Customs Area Controller, FOU, Zone A, who made this disclosure in Lagos on Wednesday, said the unit also arrested 23 suspects in connection with the seizures.
Out of the 23 suspects, he said, 12 have secured administrative bail, 11 are still in our custody while two of the suspects had attempted to smuggle in cannabis sativa also known as Indian hemp.
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“A breakdown of the seizures includes 14,789 bags of 59kg rice; 727 cartons of unregistered drugs; 2,784 cartons of frozen poultry products; 28 units of smuggled used vehicles; 116,000 litres of petrol (4,649 jerricans); 237 bales of second-hand cloths; six sacks of secondhand clothing; 20 cartons of Tramadol; 885 prices of used tyres; 10,400 cartons of alcohol beverages; 84 different kinds of vehicles laden with 50kg bags of rice and 5 by 29 foot containers of semi-processed woods,” he explained.
Yahaya said that the 28 units of exotic cars valued at N258.61 million were also seized within the same period, questioning why someone would risk smuggling a car of over N50 million through the land border.
“Smugglers are undaunted in their nefarious activities to cripple the economy with the magnitude of the seizures showcased. One would have expected a reduction in their activities. Nevertheless, we have the capacity and capability to render smugglers in this zone miserable. Whatever is the driving force behind their activities, we will continue to make it unprofitable for them,” the Customs boss assured.
He said the Unit has been confronting with smugglers especially in the volatile areas like Idiroko axis, where smuggling is considered a legitimate business.
