The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, announced on Friday that it seized smuggled and prohibited items worth N8 billion in July.
During a briefing at the Ikeja office in Lagos, the Customs Area Comptroller, Kola Oladeji, stated that over 70 seizures were made during the period under review. He emphasized that the unit is intensifying its strategies to counter the increased desperation of smugglers, especially as the yuletide season approaches.
Oladeji noted that as the country enters the last quarter of the year, there are signs that smugglers may become more determined to breach the law by importing banned goods through unauthorized routes.
The seized items include 6,168 pieces of donkey skin (with a total dry weight of 29,606 kilograms), 37,630 sachets of 250-gram Tramadol, 11,820 new machetes, 4,740 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 978 kilograms of cannabis sativa, 1,145 cartons of poultry products, 15 imported vehicles, 257 bales of used clothes, and 11,700 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
He said: “As we approach the last quarter of 2024, which is popularly known as Ember months, our intelligence and the past behavioural patterns of smugglers indicate the possibility of more desperation to smuggle.
“Because of this, we are taking more proactive measures by confronting them with increased vigour in line with the directives of the leadership of the Customs Service.
“I can boldly say that the smugglers’ desperation is being confronted with resistance, causing us to seize their wares and arrest the suspects.
In the month of July 2024, our reinvigorated anti-smuggling drive had resulted in the arrest of 14 male suspects. Within the period under review, we made 70 seizures worth a Total Duty Paid Value,DPV, of N8Billion.
“On this, we shall remain unrelenting and uncompromising. For emphasis, these acts of smuggling undermine our national security, economic development and social well-being of all citizens.
“We are not unaware of smugglers’ antics to evade duty payments and sometimes attempt to circumvent the law by bringing items that fall under import and export prohibition”.
“Comparing the month of July, 2023 with July, 2024, the revenue generated increased by N 96milliom indicating a 245 percent increase. Our interceptions rose from 50 seizures in July, 2023 to 70 seizures in July, 2024 with a DPV difference of N7.635billion also indicating an increase of 1,750 percent.
“While the Federal Government is committed to ensuring the availability of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as Petrol to Nigerians, some Smugglers are bent on taking the products to other Countries for their selfish gains. For the avoidance of doubt, this category of smugglers has us to contend with.
(allnews.ng)
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