Customs Records N622.4m Seizures, Recovers N107.8m Duties in September
EJIBUNU
By Francis Ugwoke
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday announced seizures of different types of goods worth N622.4million in the month of September.
The Unit also recovered the sum of N107million revenue through the issuance of Demand Notice (DN) from importers who short-paid import duties while clearing their goods at the Lagos seaports.
The Acting Controller of the Unit, Hussein Ejibunu who disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos said the seizures were made despite all the desperations by smugglers.
Ejibunu gave details of the seizures as follows “Chief among the September seizures was a massive discovery of bales of 1,955 bales of used clothing in an abandoned building around the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. We made the discovery and evacuation using combined strategies of intelligence, tact and enforcement. Also within the same period, a large cache of premium motor spirit (PMS) ingeniously concealed inside sacks was intercepted at the Badagry Axis of Lagos State. Other seizures recorded within the same period are:7,328 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice121,550 litres of premium motor spirit68 cartons of frozen poultry37 crates of eggs used to conceal rice150 kg parcels of Indian Hemp10 pieces of military Camouflage bags, six units of used cars (Tokunbo)I unit of pump action rifle, 2 units of locally made guns and 35 live cartridges.”
He disclosed that five suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.
He added, “Interestingly, the Federal High Court passed three judgements in favor of this Unit on three criminal cases; securing the conviction of six people for being in possession of smuggled goods. While six civil suits against the Unit were dismissed for lack of merit. This is the highest single seizure of used clothing made by the service this year, and we have commenced investigation to know those behind this massive importation, and at what entry point these clothes came into the country”.
The Comptroller described the seizure of used clothing as the highest single seizure this year, adding that investigation has commenced to find out know those behind the “massive importation, and at what entry point these clothes came into the country”.
Part of the statement reads “They (used clothes) have been seized and we are on the trail of the smugglers to get them arrested. Smuggling of used clothes has economic and health implications on our people. The government in it’s wisdom wants the local textile industry to enjoy protection and create more jobs for Nigerians from the cotton farms through the textile and garment factories to our markets. The very serious health implication of this act of textile smuggling is exposure of users to skin diseases like scabies and fungal diseases which can be transmitted by wearing unwashed second-hand clothes. This is coming at a time when the world is wary of monkey pox whose mode of transmission includes clothing. According to a World Health Organization fact-sheet, “Monkeypox” is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus.”Monkeypox virus” is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.”It is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions” .For the seized petroleum products, we have gotten them safely disposed due to their volatile nature. I want to advise patriotic members of border communities through which petrol is smuggled to report to us for timely interception, seizure and arrests. These quantities of petroleum products in the hands of smugglers could burn down communities and endanger lives and property in the event of fire. We are aware that smugglers desperation rises towards the yuletide period. In view of this, we are strategizing ahead of them, not only to seize their wares but also to arrest and make them face prosecution. Presently, there is full deployment of our manpower and logistics to achieve our goals. We are very grateful to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali and his management team; who made our exploits possible because of his support, encouragement and provision”.
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday announced seizures of different types of goods worth N622.4million in the month of September.
The Unit also recovered the sum of N107million revenue through the issuance of Demand Notice (DN) from importers who short-paid import duties while clearing their goods at the Lagos seaports.
The Acting Controller of the Unit, Hussein Ejibunu who disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos said the seizures were made despite all the desperations by smugglers.
Ejibunu gave details of the seizures as follows “Chief among the September seizures was a massive discovery of bales of 1,955 bales of used clothing in an abandoned building around the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. We made the discovery and evacuation using combined strategies of intelligence, tact and enforcement. Also within the same period, a large cache of premium motor spirit (PMS) ingeniously concealed inside sacks was intercepted at the Badagry Axis of Lagos State. Other seizures recorded within the same period are:7,328 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice121,550 litres of premium motor spirit68 cartons of frozen poultry37 crates of eggs used to conceal rice150 kg parcels of Indian Hemp10 pieces of military Camouflage bags, six units of used cars (Tokunbo)I unit of pump action rifle, 2 units of locally made guns and 35 live cartridges.”
He disclosed that five suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures.
He added, “Interestingly, the Federal High Court passed three judgements in favor of this Unit on three criminal cases; securing the conviction of six people for being in possession of smuggled goods. While six civil suits against the Unit were dismissed for lack of merit. This is the highest single seizure of used clothing made by the service this year, and we have commenced investigation to know those behind this massive importation, and at what entry point these clothes came into the country”.
The Comptroller described the seizure of used clothing as the highest single seizure this year, adding that investigation has commenced to find out know those behind the “massive importation, and at what entry point these clothes came into the country”.
Part of the statement reads “They (used clothes) have been seized and we are on the trail of the smugglers to get them arrested. Smuggling of used clothes has economic and health implications on our people. The government in it’s wisdom wants the local textile industry to enjoy protection and create more jobs for Nigerians from the cotton farms through the textile and garment factories to our markets. The very serious health implication of this act of textile smuggling is exposure of users to skin diseases like scabies and fungal diseases which can be transmitted by wearing unwashed second-hand clothes. This is coming at a time when the world is wary of monkey pox whose mode of transmission includes clothing. According to a World Health Organization fact-sheet, “Monkeypox” is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus.”Monkeypox virus” is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.”It is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions” .For the seized petroleum products, we have gotten them safely disposed due to their volatile nature. I want to advise patriotic members of border communities through which petrol is smuggled to report to us for timely interception, seizure and arrests. These quantities of petroleum products in the hands of smugglers could burn down communities and endanger lives and property in the event of fire. We are aware that smugglers desperation rises towards the yuletide period. In view of this, we are strategizing ahead of them, not only to seize their wares but also to arrest and make them face prosecution. Presently, there is full deployment of our manpower and logistics to achieve our goals. We are very grateful to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali and his management team; who made our exploits possible because of his support, encouragement and provision”.
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