The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, has seized 12 trucks of foreign rice, 30,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), used vehicles and other contraband with a duty paid value of N1.03 billion. Also, the unit added that four smugglers were arrested in connection with some of the contraband. The Acting Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Hussein K Ejibunu, said that some of the wares were intercepted for violating the guidelines on the import/export of goods, concealment, undervaluation, wrong classification and smuggling. He listed the seizures as 6,861 X 50kilogrammes bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to 12 trail- er loads); 1,236 jerrycans X 25 litres (30,900 litres) of petrol; 9,857 parcels (5,338 kg) of cannabis sativa seized from Ghana; 2 X 20 of unprocessed wood; four units of used vehicles; 40 X 5 jerrycans of vegetable oil and 54 bales of second hand clothing. Ejibunu added that oth- ers were seized for contravening policy directives as it was in the case of foreign parboiled rice.
The acting controller explained that in its continued quest to enforce Customs laws and fight against the activities of saboteurs that attempt to undermine and weaken the nation’s economy and its viability, the unit in May 2023, intercepted some smuggled items for contravening various sections of Customs laws as part of NCS resolve to protect the well-being of citizens. Ejibunu said: “Consequent to the social effect of cannabis sativa on the youths, it becomes very worrisome that a total of 9,857 parcels were seized in a single swoop. Crime experts have found a direct relationship between the intake of this controlled plant and violent crimes. We are conscious of this challenge and will continually cut the supply chain of illicit drugs and other prohibited substances.
“Detentions and seizures recorded within the period under review amounted to 79 seizures, with a total duty paid value of N1.025 billion are products of surveillance, intelligence gathering and regular patrols. These were intercepted at different times and locations within border corridors of the South-West Zone. “On revenue, the sum of N38.355 million was generated through conscious and thorough documentary checks, followed by the is- suance of demand notices on consignments that were found to have paid lesser amounts than the appropriate customs duty.” He explained that the Federal High Court at Abeokuta-Ogun, sentenced Musa Oloyede, Fishing Godwin David and Adeniyi Alaye to two years impris- onment for assaulting NCS officers, while carrying out their statutory duties.