…Evacuates seized items to IDP camps
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) with headquarters at Ikeja, Lagos has arrested a total of fourteen (14) suspects in connection with one hundred and twenty-five (125) seizures made by the Unit between the period of April 10th to May 15th, 2018.
The Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba who disclosed this in a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday stated that the unit intercepted various contraband and other goods on detention with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of one billion, ten million, two hundred and ninety-five thousand, six hundred and sixty-six naira, two kobo (N1,010,295,666.2).
Mohammed also said that the unit through its interventions recorded twenty-eight million, eight hundred and sixty thousand, seven hundred and eighty-eight naira (N28,860,788.00) from underpayments making a cumulative of one billion, thirty-nine million, one hundred and fifty-six thousand, four hundred and fifty-four naira (N1,039,156,454.00) within the period under review.
He listed the detained/seized items to include; 30 exotic vehicles including 7 Toyota Hilux (2018 models), 3 Toyota Prado Jeeps (2017 models), 1 Range Rover, 1 Ford Edge (2015 model), 5,516 bags of foreign parboiled rice (about 6 trailers), 1,078 cartons of frozen poultry products, 216 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 173 bales of used clothing, 683 pieces of used tyres, 8 sacks of Indian Hemp weighing 134kg among others.
The CAC further listed two containers with no: MSKU130295/2 and MRKU877714/0 gad been seized for false declaration with a DPV of over 25 million naira alone.
“Let me commend the officers and men of the unit for living up to their statutory responsibilities in suppression of smuggling, blocking all revenue leakages and enhancing trade facilitation towards sustaining best international standards. We have remained unflinching with our mandates and no amount of distraction will deter us from performing our statutory duties. We will continue to make this zone uncomfortable for smugglers to operate and urge every Nigerian to be patriotic and report any smuggling activities in their areas o the service and any intelligence provided will be treated in confidence”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Customs Area Controller of FOU, Zone A, Comptroller Uba Garba Mohammed has hinted that following court processes and condemnation, the Presidential Committee on IDPs chaired by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) had approved the evacuation of some seized items to the Borno State Government for distribution to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NACST).
The items according to the CAC included: 25,318 bags of rice 50kg (42 trailers), 3,366 jerrycans of 25 litres, 175 gallons of Vegetable Oil (5 litres), 1,564 bales and 122 sacks of seong hand clothing, 196 sacks and 938 pairs of used shoes.
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