The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has made seizures of smuggled items worth over N1b and generated a total sum of N38,355,362.88 as revenue in the month of May.
The Acting Controller Federal of the unit Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu discosed this during a press briefing in Lagos.
Ejibunu said, in its anti-smuggling activities, Customs recorded a total seizure of 79 packages, which includes 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 25 litres of petroleum, 5,338 kg of cannabis sativa, 40 unprocessed wood, 4 units of used vehicles, 200 cans of vegetable oil, and 54 bales of second hand clothings worth N1,025,905,110.
“Some of the wares were intercepted for either violating the guidelines on the importation/exportation of goods, concealment, undervaluation, wrong classification and smuggling. Others were seized for contravening policy directives as it is in the case of foreign parboiled rice.
“Consequent to the social effect of cannabis sativa on the youths, it becomes very worrisome that a total of 9,857 parcels were seized in a single swoop.
“Crime experts have found a direct relationship between the intake of this controlled plant and violent crimes. We are conscious of this challenge and will continually cut the supply chain of illicit drugs and other prohibited substances
“I want to urge all patriotic Nigerians to promptly share useful information with our operatives that will assist to checkmate the menace of smuggling. Since smuggling is a crime that deals in illegal trade, such as illicit drugs and prohibited weapons, Nigerians should see insecurity and other crimes as products of smuggling. The perpetrators should be considered as common enemies of the land that must be jointly fought by all citizens” he said
He added that, customs operatives arrested four suspects in connection with some intercepted goods, while the Federal High Court at Abeokuta, Ogun state, sentenced others whose names are; Musa Oloyede, Fishing David and Adeniyi Alaye, to two years imprisonment for assaulting NCS officers on duty.
