…Arrests four suspects
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Strike Force has impounded goods worth Four Hundred and Sixty Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira, Thirty-Five Kobo (N460, 839, 156.35) within the Southwest region of the country in the last three months.
The breakdown of the seizures showed that 304 cartons x 150 packets of imitation jewelry worth N36,480,000, 952 cartons of rubber footwear and 140 cartons of rubber soles valued at N13,357,159, 400 cartons HP Desktop and Monitor worth N55,357,483.35, 562 bags X 50pcs X 1kg each of Indian Rice and 50 bags x 50pcs x 1kg Salt valued at N59,870,114 and 25 Jumbo Bales of new Jeans Trousers, 15 Bales of new Shirts, 10 Bales of new Ladies Gowns put at N38,771,600.
Others are; 50 Jumbo Bales of Upholstery materials valued at N38,771,600, 50 Bales of new Jeans Trousers, 108 cartons of new traveling bags and 6 Bales of new school bags valued at N38,771,600, 77 Bales of new Jeans trousers, 12 Bales of T-shirts, 16 Bales of Ladies Belts and 7 Bales of new ladies handbags put at N38,771,600 and 705 bags of 50kg foreign rice valued at N9,870,000, all intercepted in 1 x 40 containers.
Also impounded are; 6,102 Bags of 50kg Foreign Rice, 50 X 25 litres of Vegetable Oil, 2 used vehicles namely; Toyota Avalon valued at N2, 500, 000, MAN Diesel Truck valued at N8, 500, 000, 1698 piece of used tyres valued at N8, 490, 000 and 508 Bales And 1 Tie-Tie worth N25, 400, 000.
Speaking while parading journalists round the seizures in Lagos yesterday, the National Coordinator of the Strike Force, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa said that there were other seizures made by the operative but for the fact that they had not been examined and determined, they cannot showcase them “otherwise we have other numerous seizures that their cases are pending”.
Kirawa who posited that the Strike Force also arrested four (4) suspects in connection with the seizures, however said that the suspects were already granted administrative bail and would be charged to court for them to be prosecuted so as to serve as a deterrent to would be smugglers and those that would like to infringe on the laws.
“My own job as a customs officer is to ensure the arrest of the goods and charging them to court. It is the duty of the judiciary to determine what is to be done to the people. The laws are there as stated in CEMA but it is the Judge that will pronounce the sentence not me. Even if it is there, I am helpless; I cannot pronounce it because I am not a Judge. So, it is the duty of the Judge to make that pronouncement”, he said.
While acknowledging that the act of smuggling had effect on the Nigerian economy, he further observed that Nigerians had been yearning for infrastructural development adding that government cannot do without revenue to actualize its programme of development.
In his words,” Therefore, by we paying our duty correctly as and when do, we are not only helping ourselves but we are helping others by ensuring there is job creation, employment of our teeming youths and the curbing of crime because people will be gainfully employed. There will be no idle mind. So, it is necessary for us to pay our duty correctly to ensure that government gets the required revenue to pursue its programmes”.
Speaking on why the pirated jewelries were seized, he said,” It is not contraband but then the importation has a condition. It can be imported if you pay the correct duty chargeable thereon. It was seized because its importation is contrary to section 46 of CEMA, apart from it being containerized, there is concealment there and the entry made was wrong. That is false declaration because what is in here is imitation jewelries while the entry made to the customs is mixed bead mold. The two are quite different, therefore, the person did this to evade the payment of the correct duty and therefore, it is liable to seizure”.
On his message to the owners of the vehicles used in conveying smuggled goods into the country, DC Kirawa maintained that,” Whether you use corporate vehicle, passenger vehicle or any other means of conveyance, smuggling is smuggling. By whatever name you call it, it is evil, it must be condemned by all but then, what we are appealing is for us to ensure that all hands are on deck so that the menace of smuggling will reduce to the barest minimum.
“More so, it is the responsibility of all and sundry to ensure that we engage in meaningful ventures because with the arrest of the vehicles, not only is he going to lose his wares, he also is going to be prosecuted and possibly sent to jail, that is as the court decides. So, it is my humble opinion that we should cooperate, we should collaborate and we should work with each other to ensure that we keep our country safe and ensure that the desired revenue accruable to the government is collected”.
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