Business
2014: NCS Records Milestone In Anti-Smuggling Campaign
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it recorded some milestone achievements in its anti-smuggling campaign in 2014 with 246 arrests and 7,519 contrabands worth N8.79 billion impounded from smugglers.
This was contained in its annual report 2014 released by the Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Department of the NCS in Abuja recently.
The report noted that 164 officers died in active service, 30 officers were injured or maimed, seizures during the year under review decreased by 697, while the Duty Paid Value (DPV) on seized goods increased by N285.73 billion from N8.50 billion recorded in 2013.
The annual report further explained that from the arrest, 26 persons were convicted in various divisions of the Federal High Court across the country during the year under review.
The report revealed that 241,278 units of 50 kilogramme bags of rice worth N1.41 billion were seized.
The report indicated that 1,702 vehicles worth N2.14 billion were seized in 1,672 operations by officers of the customs service while 115,216 cartons of poultry products worth N622.52 million were intercepted in 510 operations.
The report explained that other goods worth N3.66 billion were seized in 2,265 operations.
The annual report added that the service achieved milestones in capacity building of officers as 919 were trained in weapons and 550 in military police training.
The report said the service is poised to intensify its anti-smuggling campaign in 2015.
Philip Okparaji