…Arrests 28 suspects
The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) with headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos has intercepted 22 exotic vehicles valued at One Billion, One Hundred and Seventy-Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Nine Naira, Eight Kobo (N1,179,889,909.8) between September 4th to October 3rd 2018 among them some bullet proof vehicles.
The Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu who made this disclosure at a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday said that while some of the vehicles were intercepted at Ogere and Ijebu Ode expressway, the bullet Proof Vehicles were trailed and evacuated from some private residence in Victoria Island based on credible information.
Aliyu gave the breakdown of the vehicles to include; Nine Bullet proof vehicles including 4 Lexus Jeep LX570 (2016), 3 Land Cruiser Jeeps (2016) and 2 Mercedes Benz G63 and S550 (2014/2015), other vehicles include: 1 Toyota Rav4 (2015), 3 Toyota Hilux (2018), 2 Toyota Highlander (2018), 1 Toyota Prado (2018) 1 Toyota Land cruiser (2016), 1 Toyota Corolla, 1 Toyota Fortuner (2017), 1 Toyota Sequoia, 1 Lexus RX 350, among others.
The CAC listed other seizures made by the operatives of the unit within the period to include; 11,303 bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent of 18 trailers), 2,410 frozen poultry products, 853 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 245 parcels of Indian Hemp, 4x40ft containers of unprocessed wood, 2,017 bales of used clothing, 283 cartons of various pharmaceuticals, all without NAFDAC Registration number, among others.
According to him,” Today am happy to tell you that after reflecting and reviewing our operational modalities towards sustaining the statutory mandate of anti-smuggling operations, the Unit within the period of September 4th to October 3rd 2018 intercepted various contrabands with a duty paid value (DPV) of Two Billion, Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Seven Naira, only (N2, 017,953,507).
“Similarly, the unit through our interventions recovered Two Hundred and Twenty Million, Twenty Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Thirty Eight Naira only (N220,025,938.8) from demand notices on vehicles and other general goods that tried to cut corners from seaports, airport and border stations in the guise of false declaration, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria, making a cumulative of Two Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty Six Naira only (N2,237,979,446) within the weeks under review making it a landslide in recent times.
“You will agree with me that smuggling is a global phenomenon, which cannot be curbed entirely but can be brought to its barest minimum. Let me use this opportunity to praise the commitment and diligence of the officers and men of the FOU A for thwarting the antics of dare devil smugglers. I urge you the media and the general public to join us in the fight against smuggling considering the economic diversification effort of the Federal Government that is for the good and wellbeing of all Nigerians”.
He added that the unit in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration would hand over the seized Indian hemp and the Medicaments to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for thorough investigation.
While informing that twenty eight (28) suspects had been arrested in connection with the seizures, he however advised those economic saboteurs who see yuletide season as a peak period for their nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business as the unit according to him had devised other tactical strategies that would chase them out of such illegalities.
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