Customs arrests suspects, recovers N107m
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Five suspects have been arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over ammunition, petrol, second hand clothing, frozen poultry and other imported assorted contraband worth more than N622 million in Duty Paid Value (DPV).
Acting Customs Area Controller of Federal Operations Unit (Zone A) Hussein Ejibunnu who made the announcement said these contraband were seized in
September alone, during which period N107 million was also recovered.
The unit also intercepted imported bales of second hand clothing in Lagos and petrol concealed in sacks around Badagry, among others.
“Among the September seizures was a massive discovery of bales of 1,955 bales of used clothing in an abandoned building around the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex,” he said.
“We made the discovery and evacuation using combined strategies of intelligence, tact and enforcement.
“Also within the same period, a large cache of PMS ingeniously concealed inside sacks was intercepted at the Badagry axis of Lagos State.”
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Other seizures
“Other seizures recorded within the same period are 7,328 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 121,550 litres of premium motor spirit, 68 cartons of frozen poultry, 37 crates of eggs used to conceal rice,” Ejibunnu said, via reporting by The PUNCH.
“[They also include] 150 kg parcels of Indian hemp, 10 pieces of military camouflage bags, six units of used cars, 1 unit of pump action rifle, 2 units of locally made guns and 35 live cartridges.
“Five suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures mentioned above.”
Ejibunnu disclosed the Federal High Court passed three judgments in favour of the unit, securing six convictions for illegal possession of smuggled goods.
Six civil suits against the unit were dismissed, he added.
Customs seizes 3,154 bags of contraband rice
NCS Ogun Area 1 Command in August intercepted two trucks belonging to the Dangote Group of companies loaded with smuggled 363 bags of rice.
State NCS Controller Bamidele Makinde announced a total 3,154 bags of foreign rice were seized and more than N13 million was generated as revenue from import duty and auction sales of petroleum products in August.
He said the cumulative DPV for all the seizures made in August amounted to over N300 million.
“A truck with Lagos State registration no. EKY 971 YE belonging to the Dangote group of companies, loaded with 75 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each concealed with 900 bags of Dangote cement, was intercepted along Ibeshe, Yewa-North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Sunday, 21st August, 2022.
“Another Dangote truck with Kano State registration no. BCG 531 XA loaded with 288 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice 50 kg each concealed with some bags of Dangote cement along Lafenwa, Abeokuta axis, Ogun State, on 23rd August 2022,” Makinde said.