Customs seizes guns, cartridges, Indian hemp, petrol other contraband in Q1 2025
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced interception of assorted contraband items, including three single barrel long guns, 100 pieces of cartridges, 150 sacks of India hemp, and 7,242 bags of rice at different locations in Ogun.
Customs Area Controller Mohammed Shuaibu disclosed at the first quarter 2025 (Q1 2025) press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko that other seizures include
- 22 vehicles used in conveying the contraband
- Four used vehicles
- 10 cartons of Amoxicillin capsules
- 20 bags of sugar
- 534 cannabis sativa of booklet sizes
- 2 sacks of cowries
- 843 pieces of Pneumatics used tyres
- 535 kegs of petrol of 25 litres
Shuaibu said the items, intercepted in the Abeokuta axis comprising Ilaro and Ipokia/ Idiroko have a cumulative duty paid value (DPV) of N314 million.
He explained that in order to ensure smooth and legal trade while enforcing government fiscal policies against smuggling, the last three months have been dedicated to working together, combining, coordinating, and interacting with other stakeholders in and outside the country.
“The Command’s intensive and intelligence based anti-smuggling operations resulted to 161 seizures. These include: 3 Single barrel long guns, 4 packets of 25 cartridges (100 pieces of cartridges), 150 sacks of India hemp of various sizes, 10 cartons of Amoxicillin capsules, 7, 242 bags foreign parboiled rice (just yesterday we seized 900 bags of rice in single),” Shuaibu recounted.
“Four used vehicles, 20 bags of imported sugar, 20 bags flour powder, 50 bags of POP cement, 22 vehicles (means of conveyance), 534 Cannabis Sativa of booklet sizes, 239 Cannabis Sativa of bread sizes, 2,926 Cannabis Sativa of coconut sizes, 2 sacks of cowries, 12 cartons of Ghana soap, 843 pieces of pneumatics used tyres, 535 kegs of PMS of 25 liters each (13,375 litres).
“The cumulative duty paid value (DPV) for all the above seizures amounted to Three Hundred and Fourteen Million Fifty Seven Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixteen Naira (N314, 057,716).”
Shuaibu said N43 million was generated from import duty and auction sales of intercepted petrol, while seized Cannabis Sativa has since been handed over to the Abeokuta Area Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He assured members of the public of the command’s continuous support in all aspects of lawful trading activities, and urged them to avoid any form of illegal trade that could adversely affect the economy and tarnish their own reputation.
He also implored patriotic Nigerians to cooperate with the Customs by providing useful information on economic sabotage for the sake of national development.
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