A total of seven 40-foot containers laden with various items valued at N250.29 million were confisticated by the federal operation unit zone “A” Lagos for violating importation rules.
Controller of the command, Alhaji Tahir Musa, who led newsmen round the seizures, said the goods were impounded within the past three weeks, disclosing that 15 suspects were arrested in connection of the seized goods while five of the suspects have been released on bail and the other ten still in detention.
According to him, “two vehicles, one belonging to the National Air Space Management Agency (NAMA) and the other belonging to flour mills of Nig. Plc were also involved.
It was observed that rolls of textile materials were used to fill the vehicle belonging to NAMA, while that of flour mills was carrying assorted bales of Tokunbo clothes, new materials and ladies bags”. “Thirty-two (32) vehicles used as means of conveyance have equally been seized, at the same time, forty (40) vehicles with duty paid value (DPV) of N41, 200,000 have also been seized.
Some of the containers which were openly displayed contained contrabands such as furniture, used fridges, textiles, grand nut oil, used air-conditioners, used clothes and shoes, used tyres, toothpicks, rice, printed fabrics, slippers and new garments.
Others in the list of seizure include spare part, electronic, sundry domestic goods and four luxurious buses laden with textile materials.
Comptroller Tahir, noted that the achievement were made possible by his officers’ uncompromising allegiance to their statutory duties, adding that, the command achievement is not only on the seizures but have impacted positively on the revenue generated at various customs formation within Zone “A”.
He noted that the anti- smuggling activities of the command has extended to the creeks of Lagos where smugglers have re-routed, adding that, FOU will continue to send shivers down the spine of smugglers as far as he remains the head of anti-smuggling unit zone “A” of the customs.