The Federal Operations Unit, Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service, Owerri in Imo State, said it intercepted contrabands with Duty Paid Value estimated at N1,280,885,011.00 between January and March 2021.
This was disclosed in a press statement by the Commands Spokesperson, Jerry Attah to Hybrid Online News.
According to the statement, the zone C Area Controller, Comptroller Yusuf Lawal explained that while N1.280billion were generated from seizures from contraband N7.6milion were raised as DN for cargoes that exited the seaports.
According to him, the detained and seized items include: 2,976 bags of 50kg each of foreign parboiled rice, 1,024 cartons of Colcaps medicament without NAFDAC certification, 290 cartons of Foreign Eva Soap, 204 Cartons of Foreign Tomatoes Paste.
Others include: 130 Jumbo bales of used clothing, 5,200 live ammunition cartridges, 6 exotic vehicles; one Toyota land cruiser bullet proof 2019 model without End User Certificate from NSA, one Toyota Hilux 2020 model, one Toyota Corolla 2018 model among others.
Lawal said “Also, based on our intervention we recovered the sum of Seven Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty One Naira only (N7,557,731) from demand notices raised, making a cumulative sum of One Billion, Two Hundred and Eighty Eight Million, Four Hundred and Forty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty Two Naira only (N1,288,442,742.00) within the months under review.
He said also that “This feat wouldn’t have been possible without the logistics support from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire Management of the NCS.
“Let me use this opportunity to appreciate you, the media for your continuous rapport and further seek for a fair and balanced reportage of our activities.
“The Comptroller urged all well-meaning Nigerians to support the Service in the fight against smuggling by providing credible and timely intelligence that will help the Unit reduce smuggling to its barest minimum saying it would hope to improve more in the second quarter by intensifying surveillance”