Customs in
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From: Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan The Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), Oyo/Osun Area Command, has intercepted 15 vehicles laden with assorted contraband goods, including second-hand clothing and foreign rice with a total paid value (DPV) of over N23.3million. The command’s Controller, Mr. Emmanuel Udo-Aka, disclosed this when he briefed newsmen on the activities of the command in Ibadan on Wednesday. The 15 vehicles that were arrested, according to him, were detained on June 17, 2017, on Saki axis in synergy with the Headquarters Compliance Team and Customs Intelligence Unit of Oyo axis. The command also intercepted a MAN Diesel Truck with registration number LSD 445 XU that concealed 162 pieces of used tyres and 272 pieces of vehicle wheels. The truck was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on June 9, and the DPV of the truck was N2,881,016, and the DPV on the used tyres was N1,100 257, while the DPV of the vehicle wheels was N1,587,936. Udo-Aka disclosed: “It is imperative to restate that based on the current fiscal policy of the Federal Government, no vehicle and rice is to be imported into Nigeria through the land borders again. There is no gainsaying that rice smuggling stifles domestic rice production in the country. In addition, it is injurious to the health of our people and to this economy. “The ban on used tyres us for safety of our people and for our local tyre production industries to grow. It is just too bad that such contraband goods later find their ways into this country through the nefarious activities of smugglers, who in turn sell them to unwary members of the public because their perceived cheap prices. Unfortunately, the unbridled use of imported second hand tyres has continued to wreak havoc on the nation’s highway with many lives lost. “It is worrisome to note that some unpatriotic Nigerians still remain unrepentant despite the stern warning against smuggling, and even as they continue to lose. It is also disheartening to discover that some members of the public, especially the elders, do come to plead for the release of impounded contraband goods. “While we will not tolerate smuggling either from the public or from the officers who might want to connive with the smugglers, I ant to make it crystal clear to the entire public that the period of 30 days of grace that was given for the public to pay duties for vehicles that were smuggled has expired. “The grace period ended on May 19, 2017. We also want to inform the public thst anybody whose goods have been arrested by the customs should come forth with the genuine documents and claim ownership within 30 days after which the goods are liable to seizure.” |