Deputy Comptroller and National Coordinator, Comptroller General Strike Force, Mr Abdullahi Kirawa disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Lagos on Thursday. According to Kirawa, the seizure was made by the CGC Strike Force team from August 11 to September 18, 2018, based on credible intelligence gathering by Customs Intelligent Unit (CIU).
He hinted that the items ranged from bags of rice, vegetable oil, second-hand clothes and shoes, cartons of frozen poultry products, unprocessed/firewood, sugar and vehicles of different brands.
Giving the breakdown of the seized items, the second-hand clothing and 640 bales of shoes in a 1by40 feet container is worth N32,000,000; 18by20 and 3by40 containers of unprocessed firewood worth N144,000,000; 2by20 containers of wet blue worth N123,727,500, 59; and bags of sugar (50KG) worth N590,000 were seized respectively.
While seven seized means of conveyance with four cars worth N600,000, two trucks worth N6,000,000 and 1 Mercedes Benz bus worth N1,5000,000 were as well intercepted. However, other items also seized were frozen poultry with quantity of 45 cartons value at N225,000; vegetable oil in 26 kegs x 10 litres value at N130,000 and 14 kegs x25 litres valued at N140,000.
Also, used motor vehicles seized were Mazda 323 car worth N750,000; Toyota Hilux N11,500,000; Toyota Avensis car worth N1,800,000; Lexus ES 350 value at N2,500,000; Toyota Venza worth N5,500,000 and Ford Transit bus FTC loaded with contraband goods.
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In addition, he said the rice been intercepted by the Strike Force team was equivalent to 11 trailers.
He warned that rice that are being smuggled into the country are less nutritious compared to our locally produced rice. He urged Nigerians to patronised locally made products.
He added that NCS and its men are also not relenting especially in the ember months, saying the Service is working around the clock to ensure that illicit trade does not thrive in the country.
In order to tackle smuggling activities around the borders, he said the NCS has formed a synergy with its other sister agencies such as Nigerian Army, Navy and the rest to track all these nefarious activities that are being perpetrated by smugglers.
He added: “This we do not only with our sister agencies but with host communities at the borders. The PR unit of the service has also engaged in vigorous campaign in public sensitisation as the dangers of smuggling.
“So we are not only ensuring that we make arrest but we are also being proactive in ensuring that in the first place the dangers of smuggling is made known to the general public so that they will also avail us as good Samaritans and citizen with information to track these things down,” he added
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