The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command has said that it collected a total of N3, 265,335,939.89 (Three billion, two hundred and sixty-five million, three hundred and thirty-five thousand, nine hundred and thirty-nine naira, eighty-nine kobo) for the period between January and April, 2016.
According to a press release issued in Lagos by the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Selechang Taupyen, the command also recorded a total of 221 (Two hundred and twenty-one) seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N180, 847,967.60 (One hundred and eighty million, eight hundred and forty-seven thousand, nine hundred and sixty-seven naira, sixty kobo) within the period under review and arrested a total number of 17 (Seventeen) suspects which were at different level of investigation and prosecution.
The release quoted the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Victor Dimka as saying that the feat was achieved despite the dwindling economic activities and challenge of high exchange rate on the importation of general goods into the country.
Speaking on the importance of making seizure with suspects, the Comptroller stated that the command must continue to send the right signal to discourage other people from indulging in the act of smuggling.
Dimka re-iterated his commitment to the strict implementation of the government fiscal policies and the extant laws that govern the day to day operation of the service at the international border pointing out that the illegal importations of fairly used vehicles through the Command had been curtailed.
He charged his management team to ensure that the momentum of total compliance to all extant laws was sustained by every unit.
The release read in part,” Despite the down turn of importation of goods that has affected the Command’s revenue generation negatively, the clear records of our activities in effective trade facilitation, drastic suppression of smuggling and securing the international border of any trans -border crimes must be seen to be in total compliance to our books of instructions that guides the discharge of our statutory responsibilities.
“The input of the enforcement unit of the Command with regards to suppression of smuggling has been unprecedented in recent times, yet the unit must continue to live up to expectation in combating smuggling activities of any kind, especially illegal importation of fairly used vehicles which for now contributes over 50% (Fifty percent) of the Command’s total revenue”.
On the effect of the economic meltdown, the release noted that the CAC was adopting a holistic approach to ensure his officers and men work under a peaceful atmosphere devoid of rancor and crisis, as evident in his monthly consultation and interactive session with the host Communities, the Border Security agencies, the critical stakeholders, opinion leaders and the youths of the entire communities.
However, he warned officers to be careful and to work strictly within the confines of the codes and legal notices, as any infractions observed would be traced to where it originated and the culprit made to face the full wrath of the law.
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