Customs seized N4.7bn worth of goods in 2016

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri in the year 2016, recorded a giant stride in its anti-smuggling activities with the seizures of a total of 307 contraband worth N4, 756, 277,885.21.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Onuigbo Ifeoma and made available to the hawas a combination of both the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3,985,931,643.00 and an underpayment recovered as revenue which  was N770,346,242.00.

The Controller of the Federal Operations Unit, Comptroller Mohammed, G. Uba, who made this known while giving an annual report for the year 2016, said that the unit which had since driven many smugglers out of their illicit businesses consequent upon its sustained aggressive onslaught against smuggling; arrested a total of 234 suspects while 24 cases were in court in connection with the seizures.

A breakdown of the prohibited items seized include: 169 motor vehicles with a DPV worth N1,013,005,101.21; 2,725 cartons of narcotics (Indian hemp/hard drugs) with a DPV worth  N366,835,000.00 and 1,759 pairs, 85 cartons and 68 sacks/bales of foot wears  with a DPV worth N28,234,060.00.

Others were: 7,795 soap/detergents/toiletries with worth DPV of N58,889,181; 107,006 cartons of imported frozen poultry products with a DPV of N1,402,086,836.00; 1,018 pieces and 561 bales worth bags/suitcases which had a DPV of N134,964,320.00 in addition to 5,794 rethread and used pneumatic tyres bearing a DPV worth N97,597,620.00.

The rest were: 50 cartons and 147 pieces of beverages/confectionary/juices with a DPV of N3,248,570.00; 14,006 bags of rice which had a DPV of N447,850,240.00; 2,333 cartons and 1,598 pieces of furniture and parts thereof with a DPV of N173,048,334.00 and 273 cartons of 2 litres of vegetable oil with a DPV worth N9,801,000.00.

The unit also seized 1,089 pieces of machinery/mechanical appliances/parts which had a DPV worth N7,837,498.00 as well as 2,484 electrical/electronics/parts whose DPV stood at N3,886,600 and 951 bales, 470 cartons and 18 sacks of other goods with DPV of N239,441,283.00 as among other seizures made within the year.