Steve Agbota
The Seme border command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 7,524 bottles of water concealed in cartons packaged as human hair and smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.
The command also seized 13 bags of expired rice and 864 jerry cans of sulphuric acid, which could have taken innocent Nigerians.
However, the bottled water, which according to the command is prohibited from coming into Nigeria was allegedly smuggled for Chinese workers in Nigeria. The smugglers used human hair to cover the table water in order to deceive intelligent Customs officers.
Speaking to newsmen yesterday, the Controller of the Command, Compt. Mohammed Uba, said the contrabands were intercepted at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joint border post.
He further disclosed that aside the bottled waters, ginger drinks, 1708 bags of rice and 864 jerry cans of sulphuric acid were also seized in the month under review.
According to him, the smuggled water has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.04million and was imported from China through Benin Republic to Nigeria.
The CAC stressed further, “The efforts of the enforcement unit of the Command with regard to suppression of smuggling has been unprecedented with the arrest of nine vehicles conveying 83 cartons of Amira/Makoko soap DPV N1.8million; 1,718x50bags of foreign parboiled rice; 26 bales of used clothes and 14 cartons of Nitro feminine soap .
“Other seized items include 13 bags of expired rice; eight sacks of used shoes; 65 pieces of textile; 11 cartons of insecticide; 864 jerry cans of sulphuric acid and 2 sacks of rubber slippers.”
He explained further that one of the vehicle used for conveying the contraband goods was a Toyota Hillux van (masked in an official regalia), intercepted conveying 16 bags of rice at Gbaji axis.