The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A Ikeja, Lagos, has apprehended some smuggled goods through the land border, after an intensive onslaught on dare devil smugglers.
The controller FOU Ikeja, Muhammed Uba, who gave this account in a press briefing at his command office in Ikeja, said that the seized items include: 16 exotic vehicles mostly 2017 models, 201 bags of foreign per boiled rice (12 trailers), 1,172 cartons of frozen poultry products, 1,352 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 72 bales of used clothing, 464 units of used tyres, 407 sacks of pangolin scales and 629 pieces of textile Ankara materials among others.
“Deploying our tactical operational modalities, we have intercepted various contraband with a duty paid value (DPV) of N2,557,261,28.6”, the controller said.
Also among the seizure was the interception of 8 trucks laden with 3,351 bags of rice and 669 jerry cans of vegetable oil along Iseyin, Oyo/Osun axis and the evacuation of 1,253 bags of rice 50kg each from a warehouse in Ogbomosho, based on intelligence despite resistance.
The controller who said that the ban on importation of rice through the land border was to encourage efficiency in local production of rice, stressed the need to support the Federal Government policy on rice to encourage local rice farmers and millers.
Explaining further, the controller said 10 vehicles were intercepted while on information patrol at various locations, the remaining 6 vehicles were evacuated based on intelligence along Lekki-Epe expressway.
Among the detained vehicles are 2 Lexus Jeep ( RS350 2016/2017 model), 1Rolls Royce, 1 Lincoln Limousine (2014), 3 Toyota Camry (2009, 2013 and 2017 models), 1 Toyota Rav4, 1 Toyota Avalon (2016), 1 Toyota Tundra, 1 Dodge among others with duty paid value of N340,770,509.055 only.
It would be recalled that 407 sacks of Pangolin Scales weighing 10,263kg was evacuated from an apartment at 64 Opebi road, off Toyin street, Ikeja Lagos within the weeks under review with a duty paid value of N2,094,243,456.69
The controller said that, in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation, the pangolin scales and the suspect will be handed over to the Nigeria Environment Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for further investigation.
He also thanked the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), and the entire management team of the Nigeria Customs Service for “appreciating us with commendation letter and providing us with the necessary logistics that brought to this feat. We are very determined to ensure sustenance of this laudable sterling performance by making sure we give economic saboteurs a run for their money”.
