The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has said that windows of opportunities are opened for owners of impounded goods to claim them.
The Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Kayode Olusemire, said that such claimants should be ready to pay the required duties on such goods if not paid or to make up the requirements if they short paid the duties.
Speaking while taking newsmen round some impounded goods at both the Owerri and Benin offices of the unit, Olusemire said that only goods that have not been out-rightly confiscated, and tagged as seizures, would be released.
“We are urging importers to take advantage of this window of opportunity, which started since November last year and come and claim their goods; they should be able to go to the Customs Processing Unit, now available in our command in Owerri, and process such payments. The moment any good is tagged as seizure, it will not be released.
The controller said that in the last one month the command impounded goods whose duty paid value (DTV) stands at N182 million. These, according to him, include 4, 958 used tyres, various brands of cars and portmanteau, stressing that since the smuggling of rice is no longer in vogue, smugglers have turned to smuggling of used and expired tyres.
Olusemire said that six tyres, which expired since 2011, were squeezed into one rim and cautioned motorists against the use of such tyres.
The controller said that the unit will not relent in its efforts to curb smuggling within its areas of operation.
