Customs impound N82m worth of contraband goods

CONTRABAND goods with an estimated Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N82 million have been impounded by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) with five suspects arrested in connection with the goods.

The contraband goods which were confiscated last month on the Port-Harcourt/Owerri axis, Aba/Eleme axis and Owerri/Onitsha axis include 842 cartons of machete (cutlasses) bearing a DPV of N24,249,600, 254 bales of second Hand clothing with a DPV of N36,576,00, 1×20 container with logs of unprocessed woods whose DPV stood at N2,94,000 as well as one used Lexus 330 with chassis N0. 056765 with a DPV of N2,295,000 and one used Toyota Avalon with a DPV of N2,497,500 in addition to one used Lexus 9×460 which had a DPV of N13,500,000.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune the Area Comptroller in charge of the unit Mohammed Garba Ubah, who disclosed this at the premises of Imo/Abia Command of the NCS in Owerri where the items were stored, explained that five suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures made.

He said that the suspects who were helping the appropriate authorities in their investigation would soon be charged to court.

He reiterated the determination of the Nigeria Customs Service to stamp out smuggling in the country regretting that the nation’s economy had continued to suffer a set back as a result of the activities of smugglers.

Mohammed, therefore, advised those still trapped in smuggling business to desist from it and take up legitimate businesses in their own interest, stating that the NCS was better equipped, mobilised, trained and motivated to rout out smugglers and their collaborators wherever they were in the country.

He further advised the transporters who lease out their vehicles to smugglers to carry out nefarious businesses to purge themselves of this practice, warning that items discovered to have been imported were usually seized along with the vehicles conveying such items.

Said he “We are poised to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum and we appeal to members of the public with useful information about smugglers to make them available to us for necessary action. I assure you that the identity of such informers will never be disclosed”.