From Anthony Nwachukwu, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has expressed concern at the rising rate of diversion of containers-on-transit from the seaports to private warehouses, markets and other unscheduled destinations by smugglers in their bid to conceal contrabands.
Raising the alarm Wednesday in Lagos, Coordinator of the Controller-General of Customs (CGC) Strike Force Zone ‘A’, DC Mohammed Yusuf, said the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items was approximately N6.64 billion. Also, approximately N1.36 billion was collected as revenue for March and April 2022. Yusuf, who conducted newsmen round the massive seizures, disclosed that some of the shipments containing rice, tramadol and codein, among others, were actually tracked from India and were being awaited.
On getting to Nigeria and placed on transit to bonded terminals, however, they were diverted along the way to ASPAMDA Market and private warehouses. Acting on intelligence, therefore, the strike force traced the containers to the various points, evacuated the contrabands and sealed the warehouse.
In connection, some arrests have been made, while investigations continue. Among the seizures were 2092x50kg and 1908x25kg (equivalence of about seven truckloads) foreign parboiled rice with DPV of N1.93 billion, 1,030 slabs of donkey skin, 387kg of Cannabis Sativa, and 285 bales of used clothes.
Others were, 1,613x100ml cartons of Codeine cough syrup, 132x200mg cartons of Sildenafil Citrate, 40 cartons of Tramadol, five cartons of Chilly Cutter, 1,080 pairs of ladies’ shoes, 110 cartons of ladies’ bags, and 115 cartons of ladies’ gel.
According to Yusuf, the unit’s resolve to step up the fight against smuggling and the enemies of the economy is renewed everyday as smugglers remain unrelenting. He stated: “We won’t allow them have their way through whichever means they choose.
“Our 24-hour patrol yielded more results in addition to the seizures two months ago. You may recall that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, had banned the production/importation of codeine because of its gross abuse.
“The use and abuse of drugs is responsible for the different social vices and criminalities in society; this is witnessed in the pervasive outburst of insecurity. Hence, all patriotic citizens are enjoined to support the fight against smuggling of any kind.”
Meanwhile, he regretted that the quest to smuggle foreign parboiled rice into the country has been on the increase in spite of desperate efforts by the Federal Government to encourage local production.
“The attendant effects of smuggling foreign rice into the country include but not limited to the increase in the rate of unemployment, draining of the nation’s foreign exchange, and health hazards,” he noted.
Similarly, he warned against the continuous extermination of wildlife, in this case donkey (for donkey skin), on the biodiversity in the ecosystem, stating that “consistent elimination of donkeys will eventually lead to the extinction of the specie, which will consequently affect the ecosystem.”
Nevertheless, he assured that the unit will always ensure compliance with all customs extant laws, complete payment of duties and penalties through issuance of demand notices (DN) when necessary.
He further warned those contravening customs laws and the Federal Government’s fiscal policies of the agency’s renewed vigour and readiness against their illegalities, while assuring compliant traders and importers of support and trade facilitation.
