The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized smuggled goods worth millions across Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Katsina.
The Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Lagos, yesterday said it intercepted 607 Indian Hemp packs and arrested 27 suspects in Lagos and Ogun states. It also seized 7,059 bags of smuggled 50kg foreign parboiled rice, about 14 trailer loads.
There are 1,800 seizures in three weeks, worth N713.6 million in Duty Paid Value (DPV), said the acting Controller of the unit, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu.
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The Controller, FOU Zone B Kaduna, Albashir Hamisu, said 103 smuggled goods worth N318m DPV were seized in the area.
They include 1044 bags of foreign rice, 250 parcels of Indian hemp, 75,682 suspected tablets of tramadol, 26 vehicles, 127 bales of second-hand clothing, 635 cartons of foreign spaghetti, macaroni, and others.
There were other seizures in Kano and Katsina Customs area.
The coordinator of the Zone B Customs Strikeforce in Kano, Deputy Comptroller Olorukooba Oseni, said the seizure was worth N854m in DPV in Kano and Jigawa States, including 638 cartons of foreign shoes with N614.5m DPV.
Other seizures include the new 2021 model of Toyota Land Cruiser, 2019 Honda Civic, four other vehicles with N117.1m DPV.
“If you are not a saboteur of the economy, you should be able to pay the meagre fees into the government coffers,” Oseni said.
In Katsina, Customs intercepted illicit drugs and other items worth N110.9m DPV. The Coordinator, Strike force zone ‘B’ in the command, DC. Useni Aliyu, said the seizure was made on October 2.
From Eugene Agha (Lagos), Zahraddeen Y. Shuaibu (Kano), Mohammed I. Yaba (Kaduna) & Tijjani Ibrahim (Katsina)
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