NCS Intercepts Used Vehicles, Smuggled Rice Worth N1.3bn in Q1

Eromosele Abiodun
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, has announced that it intercepted contraband and raised a debit note (DN) worth N1.3 billion in the first three months of 2021.

In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Jerry Attah the unit stated that while N1.280 billion was generated from seizures from contraband, N7.6 million was raised as DN for cargoes that exited the seaports.

The Customs Area Controller, Zone C, Compt. Yusuf Lawal, was quoted in a statement as saying, “Following our anti-smuggling drives, between January to March 2021, we have intercepted various contraband within our areas of jurisdiction which covers south-south/south east zones with a duty paid value of N1.280 billion.

“Also, based on our intervention we recovered the sum of N7.6million from demand notices raised, making a N1.3billion within the months under review.”

According to him, the contraband items seized are bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice, unregistered pharmaceutical drugs, foreign soaps, tomato paste among others.

He added, “The detained and seized items include: 2,976 bags of 50kg each of foreign parboiled rice, 1,024 cartons of Colcaps medicament without NAFDAC certification, 290 cartons of Foreign Eva Soap, 204 Cartons of Foreign Tomatoes Paste, 130 Jumbo bales of used clothing.

“Others are 5,200 live ammunition cartridges, 6 exotic vehicles, one Toyota land cruiser bullet proof 2019 model without End User Certificate from NSA, one Toyota Hilux 2020 model, and one Toyota Corolla 2018 model among others.

“This feat wouldn’t have been possible without the logistics support from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire Management of the NCS.”

“I urge all well-meaning Nigerians to support the Service in the fight against smuggling by providing credible and timely intelligence that will help the Unit reduce smuggling to its barest minimum as we hope to improve more in the second quarter by intensifying our surveillance, “he added.