Business
Customs Intercepts N356.2m Contraband
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N356.2 million.
The Tide source reports that items included used clothes, Indian Hemp, used vehicles, rice, second hand clothes, substandard cables, frozen poultry products and others.
The Customs Area Controller in charge of FOU Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Garba Mohammed, disclosed this in Lagos.
Mohammed handed over the intercepted items to officials of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). the National Agency for Foods Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos.
According to him, the 128 seizures were made between August 29 and October 3 after intensified unit’s operational modalities to meet up with the current smuggling tactics.
“We have intercepted various contraband with DPV of N356,205,050.78, while the seized items include 11 used vehicles, 4,227 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 84 parcels of India Hemp, 249 bales of second hand clothes and 980 cartons of frozen poultry products.
“We also intercepted 907 pieces of used tyres, 268 pairs of used shoes, 198 Jerry cans of vegetable oil, two containers of substandard electric cables, one container each of scraps and wet blue leather, seven containers of wood and three containers of medicament.
“In September 29, based on information, we trailed and evacuated 3,000 bags of smuggled parboiled rice from 10 houses along Waterside in Ere Village, Ado-Odo Local Government of Ogun State.
“Each of these houses had three exit doors for their nefarious activities and as we were evacuating the rice from one house to the other, the villagers were busy packing the rice into the bush through other exit doors.
“Apart from 11 vehicles, which two of them are Lexus Jeep GX460 and RX330, we also have another 17 assorted vehicles of various models in detention.
“The vehicles were evacuated from car marts due to infractions noticed in their documents and as I speak with you, the owners have not been able to provide Customs papers, which we have given them enough room to provide,” Mohammed said.
He said that eight suspects had been arrested in connection with the seizures.
Mohammed said that currently the Unit had 12 suspects being prosecuted at the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Courts.
The controller said that of the criminal cases, one person had been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, and the entire management for providing the necessary assistance and logistics that brought about the feats.
Mohammed also commended the media as well as other sister agencies, adding that sensitising and educating the public would stop smuggling to the barest minimum.
An Assistant Director in the Lagos Office of NDLEA, Mr Abdul-Azeez Uthman, commended the efforts of the NCS.
Uthman assured the Customs of continuous collaboration until the perpetrators stopped the criminal acts.
Also speaking, an Assistant Director, Compliance Directorate, SON, Mr Chike Makwe, described Mohammed as “Mr Standard”for intercepting the two containers of substandard cables from China after the containers escaped from Apapa Port.
“This is one of the nefarious acts perpetrated by some importers either as a result of false declaration or they did not get clearance from SON in terms of SONCAP and so on,” he said.
Markwe said that usage of substandard cables were hazardous and they could burn buildings.
Mr Declan Ugwu, an Assistant Director, (Investigation and Enforcement) in NAFDAC, said that the seized products did not pass through due processes before coming into the country.
“Customs told us it had NAFDAC registration number, but our worry is the way the consignments came into the country through false declaration.
“When products are coming into the country, they should pass the GCS text in India or CRIA text in China before coming into the country.
“As they come into the country, the drugs should go through stamping, but I understand that these two containers of Lemdafil 100mg, Acipep Antacids and Ciprogyl injection 200mg, did not do so.
“We suspect that the importer did not do proper registration and we are also going to verify the NAFDAC registration number that came with those products.
“We find out these days that the way the criminals are bringing in fake products is that they will copy a NAFDAC registration number of another registered products and affixed it on the products they are bringing into the country,” Ugwu said.
He urged importers to always follow due process in bringing pharmaceutical products into the country to save the lives of Nigerians.
Ugwu said that NAFDAC would carry out thorough investigation on the products and inform the public immediately. (NAN)
For officers and men of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the battle is not over until smuggling is over.
In the wake of Wednesday May, 8, 2024, the ever vigilant officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted 177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 litres containing petroleum products, valued at about N8.750,000million.
The items were intercepted along Isalu Creek, Badagry Waterway en-route Benin Republic.
While briefing newsmen, the Command’s Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, said: “This seizure is most economically significant to the Command at this period of scarcity of Petroleum Products, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in our cities, and shows the anticipatory posture in our response to economic saboteurs.
“At about 2:330hrs on Wednesday 8th May 2024, while on joint patrol by teams in the Command, credible intelligence was received of the movement of 2 boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu creeks, Badagry waterway.
“On sighting the approach of the Officers, the smugglers took to their heels through the shore of the Creek. The loaded boats were then towed to the station at Badagry where preliminary examination was conducted and transferred to Western Marine Command Headquarters, Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos.
“Careful examination at the Command Headquarters revealed that the arrest was found to contain One Hundred and Seventy Seven (177) Sacks and Sixty One (61) Kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (12,500) Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N8,750,000) only”.
Bamisaiye noted that the action of the smugglers is a contravention of Section 245 & 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which the service, through Western Marine Command, is responsible for enforcing.
“The Command, under the leadership of Compt. PK Bamisaiye, is poised more than ever to rid the waterways of all acts of smuggling and economy sabotage for the benefit of the growth of economy of Nigeria”, he said
Bamisaiye said so far, no suspect was arrested in the Command’s anti-smuggling operations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Petroleum products being sought by motorists have disappeared from virtually all filling stations within Lagos and its environs, but are now booming in business in retail outlets.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that while the product could not be got at some of the petrol service stations, activities are in top gear in the local retail outlets where the price has gone beyond the reach of users.
It was also gathered that in some filling stations supplied with the products, preference are often given to retail outlet operators by petrol attendants against the consuming public.
A source, directly involved in the business, said some petrol dealers are cashing on the irregular supply to divert the products to retail outlets where they could easily make their gains.
It was also gathered that some sales representatives in the service of major oil marketing firms indulged in the diversion exercise because of their personal interest.
At the retail outlets a liter goes for N950,00 against the normal N760,to N800 at some stations.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service Board (NCSB) has confirmed the appointment of five Deputy Comptroller-Generals (DCGs) and eight Assistant Comptrollers-General (ACGs) of Customs during its 59th regular meeting.
The meeting, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, was held at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, gave details of the confirmed appointments as: O.O. Peters (DCG /Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (rtd); B.M. Jibo (DCG Enforcement Inspection & Investigation); and B.U. Nwanfor (DCG Excise, Free Trade Zone & Industrial Incentives).
Others are: S.A. Bomia (DCG, Commander Training and Doctrine Command); and C.K. Niagwan (DCG, Tariff & Trade).
The Assistant Comptrollers General (ACGs) are: B. Imam (ACG Board); A.A.S. Oloyede (ACG, Trade & Tariff); S.K. Dangaldima (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’); A. Abdul Azeez (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘D’); S.A. Yusuf (ACG, Human Resource Development); N.P. Umoh (ACG, Training and Doctrine Command); C.O. Obih (ACG/Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘C’); and S. Chiroma (ACG, Strategic Research and Policy).
The new appointments, according to the statement, were made to fill the vacancies created by some senior officers who recently retired from the Service, noting that the principles of federal character, seniority and merit guided the appointments approved by the board.
“These appointments are a testament to the officers’ exemplary services and dedication to the Nigeria Customs Service. The NCSB remains committed to providing strategic leadership to ensure effective and efficient service delivery for optimum performance”, he said.
While thanking the retired members of the management for their meritorious services, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, congratulated the newly confirmed officers and charged them to redouble their efforts to ensure the service attains greater heights in its mandates of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, and trade facilitation amongst others.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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