By Steve Agbota
The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), yesterday, said it intercepted 34,725 litres of smuggled petrol, 12 trailers of rice, 201 cartons of expired seasoning (Chicken cubes) among other contrabands.
The Unit said it arrested nine suspects in connection with some seizures that were intercepted, while trying to smuggle them into the country.
Notable among the seizures recorded within the period under review are: 7,261 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice(equivalent to 12 trucks load), 600 bags of basmati rice (5kg each), 34,725 litres of petroleum motor spirit (PMS), 39 bales of used clothes, 225 pieces of used tyres, 201 cartons of expired seasoning (Chicken Cubes), 331 cartons of frozen poultry, six units of used imported cars, 2,634 cartons of slippers/shoes, 900 pairs of used shoes, 42 units of used motorcycles, etc with a cumulative duty paid value (DPV) of N537.480 million.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), FOU Zone A, Deputy Comptroller, Hussein Ejibunu, said in furtherance to its commitment at enforcing government’s laws and policies, aimed at safeguarding the nation’s economy as well as its citizens health, the Unit had intercepted some goods that are of health and safety concerns.
He said some weeks ago, Nigerians had to pay more for premium motor spirit (PMS), amidst scarcity. However, he revealed that through meticulous checks on import documents, followed with the issuance of demand notices to importers/agents found to have short-paid their duties; the sum of N24.956 million was collected as revenue.
He said that amount would have been lost to some non-compliant importers/agents, if not for the watchfulness and the uncompromising disposition of officers of the Unit.