The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone “C”, Owerri, Imo State has intercepted, arrested and seized one 2019 model of Toyota Hilux with Police security number along the Benin axis of the command, following non-payment of duty.
It was gathered that N24,975,000 is the expected Duty Paid Value of the vehicle.
The zone, through its operatives in Benin, also said that over seven exotic motor vehicles worth DPV of N132,413,200 were also seized between March and July 2020.
Briefing journalists at Customs Warehouse Aduwawa, Benin City in Edo State, the Customs Area Controller, Mr. Kayode Olusemire, stated that the security number plate on the vehicle was to evade the customs men on the road.
“The number plate on the Hilux was to evade the custom men on the road from paying the duty on the vehicle.
Little did the driver know that the operatives of custom are intelligent enough to differentiate between a motor that has Duty Paid Value on it and the one that has not, that is a smuggled vehicle”, he said.
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In another development, the Customs Area Controller Roving Information patrol team along Benin-Slaganum road had arrested over 4,023 used tyres, worth DPV of N58,637,200.
Olusemire blamed the carnage on the roads to motorists and their use of used and expired tyres.
He said that smuggling in of used tyres had been prohibited by the Federal Government and wondered why some Nigeria businessmen were still involved in the illicit business.
He, therefore, advised motorists to stop buying used tyres, adding that the risks involved in it were better imagined than expressed.
