The Niger/Kogi Area command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted an IVECO truck with two different registration plate numbers XD 146 LSD (in front) and XD 146 SLD (behind), loaded with two hundred and ninety-two (292) 50kg bags of imported rice concealed with sugarcane in order to beat the officers on routine patrol.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Lomba Benjamin who disclosed this to newsmen in a statement on Friday said that the truck was intercepted along Dikko-Suleja-Abuja road of Niger State by one of the patrol team led by ASC I Mohammed Bature on information patrol in the early hours of Wednesday, 6th November, 2019.
Benjamin disclosed that the Duty Paid Value of the rice was four million, nine hundred and sixty-four thousand naira (N4,964,000).
He regretted that despite the considerable quantity of rice and vehicular seizures in the command in the past, some saboteurs had continued to engage in the unpatriotic act of smuggling.
“If you recall, barely two weeks ago, the command intercepted a diesel truck loaded with 197 50kg bags of imported rice with Duty Paid Value of N3,349,000. We have continued to record victory over these recalcitrant saboteurs. Last month (October), the command’s re-sharpened intelligence network led to the arrest of five (5) seizures comprising: 1,481 (50kg) bags of imported foreign rice with DPV of N25,177,000, five (5) vehicles with DPV of N14,337,000 and nine (9) bales of second hand clothing with DPV of N720,000.
“The above seizures were made at different locations within the command namely: Wawa, Babanna, New Bussa axis in Borgu Local Government Area, Tungankawo, Tunganwawa axis in Kontagora Local Government Area, Mokwa, Kudu, Kpaki axis in Mokwa Local Government Area and Bagama, Dikko junction axis in Suleja Local Government of Niger State.
“The seizures are estimated at over forty million naira (N40, 000, 000) which represents a huge loss on the part of these elements despite the fact of a jail term that awaits any of them who will be arrested as a result of our long drawn investigative net”, he said.
The command’s spokesman added that “we shall continue to blaze the trail in anti-smuggling activities through the deployment of intelligence gathering and collaboration/synergy with other critical stakeholders for the actualization of our statutory mandate. These deliberate and concerted efforts will guide us in contributing our quota toward realizing remarkable results in line with the vision and mission of the Comptroller General of Customs and his management team.”
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