Importers who are fond of cutting corners and are planning to celebrate Christmas in a big way are already counting their losses as goods worth more than N3.5 billion have been impounded in the last three weeks by the Surveillance Unit of the Comptroller General of Customs’ Compliance team.
Impeccable sources disclosed that three containers of fake drugs were among the seized items now deposited at the Customs warehouse in Ikeja. The drugs include newdol, diclofenac sodium capsules, analgesic anti-inflammatory. Others are chakapain diclofenac and jimbumol. It was discovered that the various medicines have neither a NAFDAC number nor expiration dates, with no country of origin embossed on them.
Head of the Surveillance Unit of the CG Compliance team, Chief Superintendent Hassan Bello, had reportedly swooped on the containerised drugs on its way to the Eastern region after they were discharged from one of the seaports in Lagos. The drivers of the vehicles conveying the products are said to be in custody.
Among the seizures made include 12 Lexus SUV Jeeps of 2017 model with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.260 billion. Others include, two trucks of rice, one truck of poultry products as well as about 1000 pieces of used tyres. Other containerised goods impounded are said to be based on wrong declarations, as contravention of such laws amounts to outright forfeiture in line with the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).
An impeccable source close to the Customs Service revealed that the surveillance unit recently uncovered a syndicate which specialises in the exportation of unprocessed wood. He said that more than 72 containers of unprocessed wood had been positioned in a vessel at the Apapa seaport for onward sailing before the Surveillance Unit struck and demanded 100 per cent examination of all the containers. It was later discovered that 51 of the containerised wood were unprocessed while 21 were processed. The 51 containers of the unprocessed wood were subsequently seized while 21 containers discovered to be processed wood were allowed for export.
The CEMA law prohibits the exportation of unprocessed wood out of the country as the practice not only runs counter to the aforestation policy of the country but negates the spirit behind exportation of the country’s finished products.
The source revealed that new strategies have been put in place to curb smuggling during the Yuletide as well as New Year season. The strategies include the deployment of more eagle-eyed officers into the anti-smuggling operations, close examinations of all import documents to check if their declarations correspond with the cargoes in the container as well as deployment of more logistics.