SON intercepts N23bn worth of contraband in 2018

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has intercepted N22.7 billion worth of contraband between January and December 2018.

SON said the figure might rise above N23bn before the end of the year.

It said top on the list of the seizures were adulterated lubricants, electric cables, cylinders and tyres.

It also raised alarm over the circulation of fake SON CAP by criminally minded importers who in attempt not to pay revenue that was accruable to the Federal Government.

The Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma, made this disclosure at a sensitisation workshop for maritime stakeholders held yesterday in Lagos

Aboloma, who was represented at the occasion by Alhaji Mohammed Kabiru, a deputy director at SON headquarters, noted that the nation’s economy and the lives of Nigerians were endangered due to the influx of substandard goods that were smuggled into the country.

he said it was worthy of note that the value of substandard products that were seized in the past one year was estimated to be over N22.7bn. These include those destroyed and those that were awaiting destruction.

“Some of the products are tyres, electric cables, LPG cylinders, lubricants, communication cables, unfortified sugar, etc.

“The essence of this workshop is to interact with you maritime players, to discuss import/export businesses, with the objective of getting you deeply committed to doing the right things, especially concerning import processes and procedures,” he added.