From: Desmond Mgboh
Fifteen suspects have been arrested by the officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) for engaging in various smuggling activities in Kano /Jigawa area.
Customs Area Controller in charge of Kano /Jigawa Area Command, Ahmed Nasiru disclosed this, Tuesday, when he paraded the seizures recorded by his area command in the last two months.
Speaking at their Bompai headquarters in the state, he said that they halted the smuggling of goods, valued at N79,573,372 from gaining entry through the boaders, into the country, adding that these items ranged from vegetable oil, rice, second hand clothing, expired fertilizers to blocks of Indian hemp .
Giving a breakdown of their exploits , he disclosed that they arrested a total of 1608 bags of rice (50 kg) valued at N35,996, 688, 567 (25 –liter) jerry cans of vegetable oil valued at N7, 576,821 and 53 bales of second hand clothing valued at N2,051,789.
According to him, they equally seized 278 compressed blocks of Indian hemp valued at N9559,909, 1842 bags of expired feterlizers valued at N13,815,000 and 113 bags of foreign sugar valued at N2,461,705.
Nasir explained that they took custody of 20 units of vehicles used as means of conveying the impounded item adding that the suspects were all granted administrative bail pending the conclusion of investigations and arraignment before a court of law.
He lamented the fact that Nigerians could engage in the act of smuggling to the detriment of the nation’s economy adding that smugglers were driven by selfishness and greed.
He also appealed to the governor of Jigawa State to help check the involvement of youths from Babura town in smuggling activies, warning that the authorities would not hesitate to deal with anybody who is bent on undermining the anti- smuggling drives of the Federal Government. End.