By Steve Agbota
Amidst current fuel scarcity in parts of the country, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A in Ikeja, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday, said it intercepted 36,575 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Igbo-Iberu area of Ogun State in February.
This was even as the Service also revealed that 11 trailer loads of smuggled parboiled rice was also seized within the period under review.
Addressing journalists in Lagos, the acting Controller of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A in Ikeja, Hussein Ejibunu, said the 11 trailer loads consist of 6,749 bags of smuggled 50kg bag of parboiled rice.
“Today’s press briefing is the second in the year 2022. As usual, it is intended to x-ray the Unit’s activities for the month of February. Inspite of the lull in business activities, the deployment of the Unit’s strategies and officers’ determination to suffocate smugglers, a lot had been done within the period under review.
“For the purpose of today’s Press briefing, the Unit is showcasing the under-listed seizures which were intercepted between the 3rd and 28th of February,3-28, 2022:
In all, 6,749 bags of smuggled parboiled rice at 50kg each equivalent to 11 trailers load.
Others include “36,575 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS); 599 bales of secondhand clothing; 906 cartons of frozen poultry products; 2,001 pieces of used tyres; 175 pieces of used compressors; 180 cartons of foreign soap; 52 used fridges; 285 cartons of unregistered pharmaceutical products; 13 units of fairly used vehicles; 15 cartons and 23 bales of lace materials; 338 cartons of mosquito repellant; all with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N587,901,165,” he said.
According to him, revenue generated through recoveries of low value, transfer of value, wrong classification and public auction sales of PMS amounted to N79,067,560.75.
“Gentlemen of the Press, you will agree with me today that Southwest Zone has become quite hot for smugglers to operate freely in recent times. We are however, not singing a victory song yet because of what we still have up our sleeves.
“As I always say, no one claps with one hand. The fight against smuggling and smugglers needs the cooperation and collaboration of everyone. We need credible information to successfully combat smuggling considering the overwhelming negative consequences,” he said. He noted that smuggling is a complete monster with a direct link to illicit drugs and drug abuse, armed robberies, kidnapping, balance of trade deficit, unemployment, increased crime waves, high mortality rate as a result of fake drugs and youth restiveness.