… Also 1, 514 cartons of imported Tin Tomatoes
The Seme command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it seized a total of 600 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over ten million naira (N10, 000,000) on the 26th of March, 2018 after destroying a total of over 2, 800x50kg bags of expired rice the same day with a total DPV of over forty nine million naira (49,000,000).
The command in a press release issued in Lagos Tuesday by the command’s spokesman, Mr. selechang Taupyen said that another seized truck with Reg. No XE-634-MUS disguised to be empty was arrested based on intelligence and discovered to be carrying about 1, 514 cartons of imported Tin-tomato with a DPV of eight million, one hundred and seventy-five thousand, six hundred naira (N8,175,600.00) on the 24th March 2018.
He quoted that Customs area Controller of the command, Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu as saying that the seizures had become a recurring decimal and a routine in the command that a visit to the warehouse of the command which was almost filled up to the brim attest to the fact that the command was not resting ion its oars and responsibility of generating revenue, facilitating legitimate trade, suppressing smuggling and protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria through due diligence in the use of the effective and operational fixed scanner machine at the border command.
The Customs Area Controller noted that he was not ready to shy away from his responsibility as far as deliberate perpetrators remain recalcitrant violators of the federal government policies even as he warned that seizure would continue to be the hall mark of the command and that its enforcement officers would continue to do the needful against the unrepentant smugglers.
However, the customs helmsman stressed that all his achievements was attributed to the mutual consultation and cooperation with the host communities who do share intelligence with the command and the cooperation of the sister security agencies who synergize and collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service for effective border management.
He disabused the mind of the public who were quick to mention Seme border to any incidence of smuggling seen along Lagos metropolis saying that any smugglers who previously operated through Seme route would definitely affirm that change had come to Seme even as he said that a trial would convince whosoever in doubt.
“Doing the right thing is what is obtainable in Seme border now even to legitimate stakeholders who are ready to use the busy Lagos Abidjan corridor”, he said.
The Controller who has been suddenly nicknamed “Mr. do the right thing” for his onslaught against prohibited items insisted that he cannot stop seizing contraband and non-compliant goods that refused to adhere to the law of the land thereby undermining the policies of the federal government of Nigeria that the Nigeria Customs Service stand to enforce at the border.
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