The Controller General of Customs Strike Force, Team A, on Wednesday, disclosed that it intercepted four container loads of unprocessed woods valued at N373.5 million.
The unprocessed woods were about to be shipped out of the country to Asia when it was intercepted by the men of the strike force.
The Federal Government had in 2019 outlawed the export of unprocessed woods and allied products to protect the nation’s forest.
It also revealed that it has shifted its attention to identifying dangerous cargos right inside the Seaports before they are cleared.
The Coordinator, CGC Strike Force Team A, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Ahmadu Shuaibu, while showcasing the items in Ikorodu, said the smugglers of the woods defied extant export prohibition list.
According to him, criminally-minded businessmen are ridding on the determination of the government to improve on the nation’s export trade, to indulge in the illegal shipment of woods to Asia.
He said the strike force team A would go after those behind the illegal exports and that the team would also cripple the finances of the sponsors.
“Among other seized items are 550 cartons of footwear, 343 rolls of synthetic grass cover and 1,709 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice with a cumulative Duty Paid Value of N664.6 million.
“Within the period January and June 2021, a total of 86 seizures were made and they were found to have contravened different sections of the Customs and exercise laws. The goods are worth N1.65 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV)
“Sequel to meticulous documentary checks, the ICT components of the team recovered the sum of N1.9 billion from Demand Notices (DN) raised within the period under review (January and June 2021).
“Considering the socio Economic, security and health effects on the national Economy, importers and exporters and traders are advised to be committed to the well being of the nation’s economy by complying with the Federal government extant laws and policies aimed at reviving the moribund industries and to sustain the existing ones,” he added.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Customs intercepts four container loads of unprocessed woods worth N373.5m
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. Customs intercepts four container loads of unprocessed woods worth N373.5m
and then