Customs Rakes in N2.5bn in Six Months
Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, has stated that it intercepted various contraband with duty paid value (DPV) of N1.29 billion and N1.28 billion. The items, according to the agency were from duty payments and demand notices respectively on general goods that tried to beat the system from seaports, airport and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value, and short-change in duty payment that are meant for the federal government.
According to the NCS, the cumulative amount raked between January and June 2017 stood at N2.58 billion.
In the months under review, the agency revealed that 95 suspects were arrested in connection to the seizures and 475 different seizures were recorded comprising foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, arms, fake pharmaceutical/ medicaments and various general merchandise. The Controller, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba said the successes were recorded following intensified anti-smuggling operations in the zone. He thanked the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) and the entire management team of the Nigeria Customs Service for their efforts in recognising hard work and putting square begs in square holes.
“Without the management motivation and necessary logistic support, we won’t have achieved this feat within this period, “he said.
Similarly, Uba commended the commitment and diligence of the officers and men of the FOU ‘A’ for thwarting the antics of some dare devil smugglers who used different methods for concealment.
He charged all his officers to be professional and diligent in performing their statutory responsibilities; most especially in the area of anti-smuggling operations by making sure all revenue linkages are blocked.
Uba added that smuggling is a global phenomenon, which cannot be curbed entirely but can only be brought to its barest minimum.