NCS Seme Command Vows to Tackle Smuggling
Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Command has stated that its operational dynamics had in recent times become a nightmare to smugglers who are always devising new strategies to beat the operatives of the command.
This, it stated, was evident in the recent seizures made despite the effort put in by the smugglers in reconstructing their means of conveyance for concealment and easy passage.
The commands helmsman, comptroller Mohammed Aliyu said in a statement that he would bring his wealth of experience to bear as the operational strategies of the once hostile responses from the dare devil smugglers in the command.
He said: “We are now intelligent driven. Suffice to say that the current intelligent driven operation of the command is not only in line with the operational ethics of the service, but also in line with the international best practices. It is therefore worthy of note that confrontation with the smugglers which hitherto used to be between officers and smugglers is a thing of the past. There are numerous seizures (frozen poultry products, imported rice and textile materials) made from smugglers despite their antics to gain passage. The seizures have a duty paid value (DPV) of N12.72 billion.”
Commenting on the intelligent driven seizures, the Customs Area Controller disclosed that the command will continue to operate using the best strategies to suppress smuggling to the barest minimum.
He stressed that the command shall continue the harvest of seizures from non-compliant stakeholders and smugglers who have refused to heed the clarion call of been patriotic in their trade transactions along the corridor.
He commended the operational officers and enjoined them to be ethical and professional in the discharge of their statutory functions.
The CAC restated his position that the command shall continue to sanitise the SEME international border and remain a nightmare to smugglers in line with the service statutory mandate of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, facilitation of legitimate trade and protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.