By Isaac Anumihe
Customs Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, has intercepted 27 assorted vehicles smuggled into the country through unapproved routes and other items amounting to a total of N783,649,203.2 million.
The vehicles include Toyota Prado Jeep, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Highlander, Mercedes Benz, among others, ranging from 2007 to 2013 models with a duty paid value of N228,215,429.1 million.
Speaking after inspecting the smuggled items with newsmen, the Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Mohammed Uba Garba, listed other gains from the intensified anti-smuggling operations as foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, Indian hemp, medicaments, used tyres and various general merchandise.
“Three containers were seized for false declaration with a duty paid value (DPV) of N303,260,671.85 million. Sixteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizures”, he said.
Aside these, the unit also recovered N252,173,201.25 million from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to outsmart Customs officers at seaports, airports and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value and shortchanging in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government policies banning the importation of rice and vehicles through the borders are still in force. Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) remains tenacious in its determination to enforce these policies. As we enter ‘ember’ months this weekend, when economic activities strive to boom, let me use this opportunity to send this warning message to smugglers within South West Zone to desist from such illegal trade as we are well equipped with all necessary arsenal to cripple smugglers and send them out of their illegitimate businesses,” he said.
While handing over Indian hemp and medicaments to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) officials for investigation, the controller commended them for their co-operation and assistance.
In his remarks, the Principal Staff Officer, Operation and Intelligence, Lagos State Command of NDLEA, Lawal Opeloyelu, stated that drugs and crimes have relationship. He wondered the effects the seized drugs would have had on the youths if they were allowed to enter the society.
“The seizures are alarming in the sense that if they were allowed to get to the public, thousands of Nigerian youths would have been influenced negatively by the drugs and the effect would have increased the number of crimes in the society because it has been proven that there is a nexus between illicit drugs and crime commission,” he said.
On what the agency was doing to nip smuggling in the bud, he said, “we are trying our best. We have six area commands and we work 24 hours. Apart from the six area commands, we have three teams in the area command in case of emergency. We are equally on the roads to make sure we intercept those coming to Lagos,” he said.