By Francis Ugwoke

 It was a bad business for smugglers in the past one month as the operatives of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ (FOU ‘A’), Ikeja-Lagos, on Monday announced seizures of rice and 220   prohibited   goods  which duty paid value was put at   N3,237,132,640.00 .

 The Area Controller of the Customs FOU Zone A, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, told newsmen that seizures include 956 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, equivalent to eight trailer loads; 12 foreign-used vehicles; 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis (Sativa) weighing 1,439.9kg; 49 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 26.1kg and  one parcel of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg.

Others were 13 parcels of granular cannabis weighing 1.35kg; 240,000 tablets of Tramadol; 12,000 tablets of Hypnox; 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg; 964 25-litre jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 24,100 litres; 26 cartons of foreign vegetable oil containing four 5-litre units each; 686 cartons of foreign poultry products; 414 bales of used clothing and 2,947 pieces of used tyres.

The    prohibited  items, he said  were  intercepted through intelligence-led operations.

 The Controller said that the seizure of  foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil, poultry products, foreign-used vehicles, used clothing, and other prohibited goods will help in protecting local industries.

Gambo also said that the seizure of   illicit drugs, unregulated pharmaceutical products, and other controlled substances  will further  assist in  protecting public health and preventing the circulation of substances  dangerous to health.

 He disclosed  that his   Unit’s enforcement activities  have been organised in  a balanced framework  to ensure  robust border enforcement with trade facilitation.

He pointed out that  the successes recorded  so far during the period  has enhanced  intelligence gathering, risk profiling, inter-agency collaboration, intelligence fusion, and the cooperation of stakeholders.  

He made it clear that  compliant traders will always enjoy    fair treatment, predictable, and transparent trading environment.

But he warned that  the operatives will continue to  maintain a zero-tolerance approach to smuggling, revenue fraud, and other forms of economic sabotage.

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