The Customs Strike Force Unit, Zone A, has disclosed the recovery of N5.8 billion from importers who refused to pay accurate duty to the Federal Government coffers in 2022.
This was disclosed by the CGC Strike force Coordinator, Mohammed Yusuf, at a press briefing in Lagos, on Wednesday.
According to Yusuf, while the unit intercepted N5.8 billion from Demand Notice (DN) from fraudulent importers between January- December 2022, the unit also seized different contrabands worth N9 billion,
He added that the year 2022 witnessed a robust anti-smuggling drive marked by tremendous success by the unit.
“The sum of N5.8bn was generated as revenue through demand notices from January to December 2022. Let me once again sound this as a warning to all unpatriotic importers and their agents who go the extra mile in daring us. We shall not only make seizures, but our ever-vigilant operatives will also get them arrested to face the full wrath of the law,” Yusuf stated.
Yusuf, however, warned that the team had already reinvigorated their round-the-clock operations.
The CGC strike Force also said that the unit intercepted 5,124 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, along the coast of Lekki, Lagos.
Yusuf stated that the contraband with an estimated duty paid value of N516m, was intercepted following a credible intelligence in January 2023.
He added that the contrabands were being moved directly from the ship to trucks before his men intercepted them.
“On this Cannabis, it was intercepted following a credible intelligence, we intercepted it somewhere around Lekki along the coast in midnight. On getting there we saw a lot of men loading the contrabands from the ship directly into the truck despite the sea waves. Immediately our officers got there, they discovered that they have already loaded the first truck; they were loading the second and third trucks when we got there.
“And there were pandemonium like I said earlier when we got there, we saw some other agencies, we don’t know who they were. But after lots of heated arguments, we were able to take this truck down to our office, the people who were loading the consignment ran away.”
Yusuf said they were able to take one truck because it has already been loaded, parked outside and was waiting to be taken out before his men busted them.
“This particular truck was parked outside while they were loading the other two trucks, they never knew we were coming. So they had loaded this truck and kept it outside. So when we came, while they were arguing we decided it is better we take the ones are seeing and also for the safety of our officers. So one of the officers drove the truck.”
Yusuf also said that in the same January, the team also seized 705 bags of foreign parboiled rice 50kg each with a duty-paid value of N42 million and also 11 bales of second-hand clothing with a DPV of N3 million.
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