The Tincan Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS has collected the sum of Five Hundred and Seventy Five Billion, Five Hundred and Five Million, Six Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Eight Hundred and Four Naira and Fifty Nine Kobo only (N575,505,612,804.59) as revenue due to the federal government between January and June 2024.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi who disclosed this at a press conference held at the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria, MARAN Secretariat in Apapa, Lagos on Friday stated that the amount was an improvement by N315,248,670,683.90 and represents a 221.13 percent increase from the corresponding period in 2023 which had N260,256,942,120.69.
“As of today, July 12, 2024, the command has generated N627 billion and we have been given a target of N1.403 trillion. This shows that significant efforts have been made in the command in meeting the target.
“TCIP operations in the last six months significantly aligned with the statutory functions of the Service in the areas of revenue generation, trade facilitation and enforcement/anti-smuggling activities.
The command’s operations were performed in consciousness of the theme of the 2024 International Customs Day, ‘‘Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose.
“The command further enhanced the existing operational process to conform to the malady of the floating exchange rate regime with the use of technology made available by the NICIS II Software”, he said.
On enforcement, Nnadi noted that the command coordinated several 100 percent physical examinations under his supervision in collaboration with critical stakeholders to ensure that the command was freed of any form of non-compliance to the international trade cycle.
“Items discovered as concealments and seized during the period under review are one RZ17HD – 20P9964 – rifle, one RZ17HD – 20P9962 – rifle, one GAMO – T660739 – rifle, one pump action – MV0830249 – rifle, one RZ17TACTICAL – 30H21PT011992 – rifle, one RZ17HD – 20P9929 – rifle, one pump action – MV0830253 – rifle.
“Others are one pump action – MV0830839 – rifle, one RZ17HD – 20P10115 – rifle, one pump action – V1690019 – rifle, one pump action – 52-H21PT – 3803 – rifle, one RZ17HD – 20P9951 – rifle, one SAR9 SARSILMARZ T1102-21BV63826 – pistol, one RUGER AMERICAN PISTOL 9MM.
“Others listed: one SAR9 SARSILMARZ T1102-21BU51078 – pistol, one TAURUS G3C – BAIN BRIDGE, GA ADA 799424 – pistol, one TAURUS G3C – BAIN BRIDGE, GA ADC 122309 – pistol, one TAURUS G3C – BAIN BRIDGE, GA ADB 941276 – pistol.
“Also intercepted are one used Toyota Corolla Chassis Number: 5YFBURH1EP09601: 2014 model, Sterling High Quality shotgun cartridges green (12 cal 32 grams – 10 packs of 25 pieces each), Sterling High Quality shot gun cartridges green (12 cal 30 grams – 20 packs of 25 pieces each and 23 extra pieces).
“Included in the list are Sellier & Bellot Buckshot – 55 pieces, Crosman Co2 12 gram cartridges – 123 pieces, 1USP CO2 AirGun Pistol with Accessories Cal. 117 (4.5mm) BB, units of Mace Pepper Gun, to Department of State Services (DSS) for further agency function”, he said.
He said that during the period under review, three plastic drums were intercepted concealed with several packets of Cannabis Indica, 46 bags containing 2,144 packets of cannabis indica all weighing 1,072kg seized from 1x40ft Container No. GAOU 669921/5 imported from Canada.
“The approximate street value of the illicit substances is N3.216 billion. Also, 877 cartons of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine – 200 bottles of 100ml per carton and 82 cartons of Really Extra Diclofenac Sodium 50mg tablets – 600 packs per carton imported from India was seized. The approximate street value of the cough syrup is N964.33 million”, he said.
Photo: (L-R): Comptroller Dera Nnadi, Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Port Command, Mr. Godfrey Bivbere, President of MARAN and Mr. Gboyega Oni, Vice President of MARAN during the press conference held at MARAN Secretariat by Comptroller Nnadi on Friday.
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