The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service on Wednesday said that it intercepted contraband items worth N1.720 billion in the South West region over the past month.
Additionally, it stated that it recovered approximately N72.443 million through the issuance of Demand Notices (DN) due to the irregular declaration of consignments by some importers.
Among the seized items were seven truckloads of foreign parboiled rice, 27 units of used vehicles, and 14,820 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.
The Customs Controller, FOU Zone A, Comptroller Kola Oladeji, made this disclosure while showcasing some of the seizures to journalists on Wednesday in Lagos. He added that six suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.
Oladeji explained that the successes recorded so far this year were not achieved effortlessly but resulted from the painstaking efforts of officers of the unit, who, he said, spent hours on patrol and surveillance of the nation’s borders.
He provided details of the seizure, which included 3,832 bags of foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to seven trailer loads; 27 units of used vehicles, also known as tokunbo vehicles; 494 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 14,820 litres; 27 bales of used clothing; 95 bags of charcoal; and 3,643 kg of cannabis sativa.
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“Six suspects were arrested in connection with these landmark achievements, comprising 82 interceptions.
“These seizures have a cumulative duty-paid value (DPV) of N1.720 billion. The successes recorded so far this year were not achieved effortlessly. They required the painstaking efforts of our officers, who spent hours on patrol and surveillance of our borders,” he added.
Regarding revenue, Oladeji explained that the unit also recovered a total sum of N72.443 million through the issuance of Demand Notices (DN) due to the irregular declaration of consignments.
“The unit will continue to enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as they relate to the import and export of goods to prevent revenue losses.
“Since assuming office, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has rolled out several trade facilitation tools to boost revenue and grow the economy.
“Trade facilitation tools such as the Time Release Study (TRS), Advance Ruling, and the recently launched Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) have increasingly boosted investor confidence and improved the efficiency of customs operations.
“This unit has embraced these laudable initiatives of the CGC by restructuring some patrol teams operating within the Lagos metropolis. This is aimed at removing unnecessary trade impediments and facilitating a business-friendly environment,” he said.
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