The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, said that its officers, through interventions between January to December 2020 in the South-West region of the country, intercepted suspected smuggled items and accessed warehouses suspected to be used by smugglers/duty evaders, and recovered the sum of N1,752,094,037.94 as revenue shortfalls on expected duty payments.
The unit, through a statement signed, on Thursday, by its Spokesman, DSC Theophilus Duniya, explained that the lost revenue was recovered through the issuance of demand notices; sequel to interceptions and documentary checks.
“As an anti-smuggling unit, we remain resolute to the course of protecting our national security and economy. In remaining uncompromising in the fight against smuggling, duty evasion and other offences that contravene different sections of the extant laws; the following goods were seized among others within the period under review: 31,129 of 50kg bags of foreign rice; 11,290 cartons of foreign poultry products; 3,562kg of Indian Hemp; 9,801 kegs of 25 litres each of vegetable oil; 560 units of used vehicles; 24,612 pieces of used tyres etc, worth a total duty paid value of N20,897,553,880.08.
“The Ag Controller, DC Usman B. Yahaya, has categorically stated that no consignment or goods on transit would be unjustifiably delayed for as long as there is compliance with the extant guidelines on the procedure for import and export clearance. We are totally committed to the course of facilitating legitimate trade.
“This feat is as a result of credible information and intelligence gathering. Thus, we are soliciting for timely and credible information from patriotic citizens that would assist us to carry out duties with diligence.
“While we remain grateful to our esteemed critical stakeholders and patriotic citizens for their unflinching support, we also appeal to traditional rulers, teachers, religious leaders and parents to urge the youths not to allow themselves to be used by economic saboteurs.
“We shall remain determined at enforcing the Federal Government fiscal policies, extant regulations and guidelines on import/export; without fear or favour,” the Unit stated in a press release.
Customs retrieve N1.7bn lost revenue from South-West in 2020