Customs seizes 11,820 cutlasses, 55 sacks of Indian hemp in Ogun

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, says it has confiscated 11,820 units of cutlasses that some smugglers allegedly imported from Ghana.

Customs officials said that the cutlasses, which they said were seized at the border community in Ogun State, were sealed in 197 cartons containing 60 units.

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The Area Controller, Michael Agbara, disclosed this yesterday while briefing journalists at Idi-Iroko, Ipokia Local Government of the state, on the Command’s activities in the second quarter.

Agbara alleged that the cutlasses were being used as dangerous weapons in communal clashes, and smugglers had also attacked Customs operatives many times using machetes.

He disclosed that the Command’s anti-smuggling drive had yielded positive results in the period under review, with 439 seizures involving 130 units of vehicles, which included a black, bullet-proof 2018 model Mercedes Benz AMG G63.

The Controller said the command generated a sum of N19,598,500 as revenue in the second quarter, while the Duty Paid Value on the seizures was put at N500.766 million.

He said the Command generated the amount despite the closure of borders, “which had shut down the command’s means of revenue generation.”

Agbara declared, “We wish to reiterate that the continued attack on operatives of the NCS and other sister agencies will not deter us from the performance of our legitimate duties.”