The Federal Operations Unit of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a vehicle with Covid-19 sticker used to smuggle frozen chicken into the country.
The unit also intercepted various items of contraband worth N12.7 billion between January to April 2020.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Jerry Attah, the Customs said it’s officers intercepted the vehicle operating under the guise of essential duty while smuggling cartons of frozen chicken into the country from Benin Republic.
Attah, who quoted the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the unit, Usman Yahaya, said that the vehicle was arrested along Ijebu Ode Expressway.
He also disclosed that they were intercepted based on intelligence and tact of its eagle eyes officers who were on routine patrol along the axis.
The CAC said, “The officers were professional enough to intercept the vehicle which was believed to be used in the movement of essential commodities but were surprised to see that it was used for illegal activities such as movement of contraband.
“We have arrested the vehicle and investigation has commenced to get to the root and unravel other atrocities that may have been committed using the ensential duty tag.”
Also on the activities of the command in the last four months, the CAC said that contraband worth N12.7 billion were intercepted from smugglers between January to April 2020.
According to him, the unit also paid N1.14 billion into the Treasury Single Account of the federal government from Debit Note (DN) on intercepted containers from Lagos seaport, voluntary payment of Customs duty on vehicles, auction sales from seized Premium Motor Spirit among others.
Giving a break down of the seizures, he said 25 units of fairly used vehicles worth N108 million, 5,644 cartons of frozen chicken worth N54.1 million were intercepted.
Also seized during the period under review are 9,843 bags of 50kg smuggled parboiled rice worth N130.4 million and sacks of textile materials worth N94 million.
Others are N14 million worth of used tyre, 3,764 kegs of smuggled vegetables oil worth N69.2 million, 8,365 litres of smuggled petrol also known as (PMS) and AGO also known as Diesel worth N35 million.
The Customs chief said, “We wont relent on our anti-smuggling fight especially at this time the government is preaching diversification into the agric sector due to the fall in price of oil in the international market which has affected government revenue base.
“We will ensure that smuggling is reduced to the nearest minimum and not allowed to fester as that could be injurious to our economy and wellbeing as a country.”