Customs impounds N1.3b contraband in Ogun alone
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Contraband worth N1,290,108,608 were seized in Ogun alone by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in the eight weeks between May and June, according to Area Comptroller Bamidele Makinde who made the disclosure in Idiroko.
He said the sum was the estimated Duty Paid Value (DPV) of seizures made in the two months through routine patrols during which illegal drugs and narcotics were also impounded in collaboration with other security agencies.
The command seized N12.8 million worth of imported petrol, also known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), at various points of the border with Benin Republic
“A fuel tanker suspected to contain 45,000 litres of adulterated diesel with an estimated Duty Paid Value of N81,823,200.00 was abandoned by a suspected bunkerer who absconded upon sighting our operatives along Sagamu-Ijebu Ode Expressway.
“In addition, about 10,973 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, was seized and disposed of in line with extant laws,” Makinde said.
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Momentum of anti-smuggling efforts
Makinde cited anti-smuggling efforts which built momentum and culminated in the seizure of numerous commodities, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), per reporting by Nairametrics.
“The synergy and collaboration with sister security agencies in the state had also contributed to this remarkable progress.”
An estimated 15.64 million litres of petrol are smuggled out of Nigeria daily to neighbouring countries and sold at an average price 3.7 times higher than the price in Nigeria because of subsidy.
Other items seized
Makinde listed other illicit drugs seized to include
- 117 small sacks
- 6 big sacks
- 1,100 wraps (book size)
- 81 wraps (coconut size) of cannabis sativa
- A cartoon of 1,100 packets of Tramadol (225mg per tablet ×10)
- 390 cartons of frozen poultry products
- 289 cartons of imported tomato paste
- 19 bales and 104 sacks of foreign used clothes
- 120 cartons of new footwears (including 23 pairs of new slippers)
- 53 cartons of foreign used shoes
- 22 cartons of foreign wine
- 72 pieces of used compressors
- 10 vehicles
- 2 foreign used vehicles
- 4 motorcycles
- 289 cartons of imported tomato paste
- Vehicle spare parts
- Two vehicles laden with 882 bags of 50g each of foreign rice
- A truckload of about 320 cartons (23,400 pairs) of imported footwears with an estimated DPV of N764,974,800