Customs seize bullet proof vehicles, others worth N2.2bn

THE Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted various contraband, including bulletproof vehicles, with a duty paid value of N2,017,953,507 between September 4th to October 3rd, 2018. This is even as the Unit recovered N220,025,938.8 from demand notices on goods that tried to beat the system at the seaports, airports and borders, thereby bringing the cumulative to N2,237,979,446.

Among the seized contraband includes 22 exotic vehicles, 11,303 bags of foreign parboiled rice (18 trailers), 2410 frozen poultry products, 853 Jerry cans of vegetable oil, 245 parcels of Indian hemp, 4by40feet containers of unprocessed wood, 2,017 bales of used clothing, and 283 cartons of various pharmaceuticals all without NAFDAC registration number.

Displaying the seized contrabands to journalists in Lagos on Thursday, Controller of the Unit, Compt. Mohammed Aliyu revealed that the 22 vehicles seized, which includes bulletproof vehicles, has a duty paid value of N1,179,889,909.8 only.

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“While some of the vehicles were intercepted at Ogere and Ijebu Ode expressway, the bulletproof vehicles were trailed and evacuated from some private residence in Victoria Island based on credible information.

“Also, the Unit through our interventions recovered N220,025,938.8 from demand notices on vehicles and other general goods that tried to cut corners from seaports, airport and border stations under the guise of false declaration, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government, thereby making a cumulative of N2,237,979,446.

“In the spirit of inter-agency collaboration, the seized Indian hemp and medicament will be handed over to the NDLEA and NAFDAC for a thorough investigation.

“28 suspects have been arrested in connection with these 89 seizures. Let me advise those economic saboteurs who see Yuletide season as a peak period for their nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business as the Unit has devised other tactical strategies that will chase them out of such illegalities.

“I wish to use this opportunity to thank the Comptroller General of Customs Col. Handed Ali (rtd) and his management team of the NCS for providing necessary incentives and logistics that brought about this feat,” the FOU Zone A Controller stated.