The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone
‘C’, Owerri has continued to beam its search light on smugglers of
contraband goods in the country resulting in the seizure of a total of
one hundred and sixty-nine (169) items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of
one billion, three hundred and seventy-nine million, seven hundred and
seventy-two thousand, five hundred and
seventeen naira (N1,379,772,517.00) and a total of
three hundred and ninety-four million, eight hundred and fifteen
thousand, and thirty eight naira (N 394,815,038.00) as an underpayment
recovered within the period in question; forty-two (42) suspects were
arrested in connection with the seizures made, while twenty-five (25)
cases are now pending in court for possible prosecution of the culprits
between January and June this year. This is in contrast with a total of
N39,644,813.00 underpayment recovered and a DPV of N1,013,833,362.00
which the unit recorded in the year 2015.
The Customs Comptroller in charge of the Unit, Haruna Mammudu who
disclosed this, in a Press Release signed by the Public Relations
Officer in Owerri, Assistant Superintendent of Customs II Onuigbo,
Ifeoma; said that the banned items were confiscated by the vigilant
Officers and Men of the Unit on the Benin, Calabar, Owerri, Enugu and
Aba/Eleme axis within the zone.
According to the Comptroller, the items which were packaged and
concealed in such a manner as to deceive security agents on duty include
90 vehicles; 2,758 bags of 50kg rice; 4,160 pieces of used tyres; 1,337
cartons/set of furniture and 625 cartons of fake drugs (medicaments).
Others were 61 containers of log of wood; 2,600 pieces of imported
school bags; 97 pieces of 14 stroke engine generator and used fridges;
3,550 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products; 992 bales of second
hand clothings; 897 cartons of foreign detergents and creams as well as
167 pairs of foot wear.
Comptroller Haruna while professing the preparedness of the NCS to
tackle the scourge of smuggling of unauthorized goods into the country
expressed delight at the seizures profile recorded during the first six
(6) months of the year 2016 as against that made last year.
He however re-emphasized the dangers and implications inherent in the
smuggling of illegal and unauthorized goods into the country, noting
that while the ugly practice had continued to deal a devastating blow on
the nation’s economy, many families had been ruined as a result of the
dastardly unpatriotic practice.
The Comptroller therefore appealed to Nigerians who are still trapped in
the illicit cancer of smuggling to retract their steps in their own
interest, warning that the Nigeria Customs Service is now better
equipped, trained, motivated and reinvigorated to neutralize the antics
of smugglers and to dislodge them wherever they hibernate to perpetrate
their evil acts.
He also appealed to member of the public with useful information about
smugglers, their agents and collaborators to always make them available
to security agencies for necessary actions, pledging that such
classified information would not be divulged to any individual, group or
association.
Haruna also advised the officers to always discharge their duty without
fear or favour and abide strictly to the ethics of their profession;
adding that efficiency, productivity, and dedication to duty should be
their watch words in spite of any challenge facing them.
He assured them that government will always continue to reward hard work
to deserving officers who distinguish themselves in the discharge of
their official duties.
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