Customs Carry Out Massive Seizure of Smuggled Goods

Rice smugglers in the south east and south south were arrested by customs officials 2,500 bags of foreign rice were confiscate. The service urged people to provide useful information to stop smuggling.

Operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service have carried out anti-smuggling operations that has resulted in the seizure of 29 prohibited items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,074,099,739.00 and under payment recovered of over N54 million.

In a statement by Ifeoma Onuigbo who is the public relations officer of  the Federal Operations Unit Zone C, Owerri of the service, it was revealed that the confiscated items include 2,522 bags of 50 kg foreign rice, 61,333 cartons of imported foreign poultry products, 720 cartons of foreign vegetable oil, 1,618 cartons 1,466 pieces of furniture, 269 pieces of unused tyres, 59 cartons and 1,964 pieces of spare parts, 39 pieces of used compressors, 29 bales of second hand clothing as well as 480 pairs of used shoes and 9 vehicles of assorted types.

All the items were seized in the south east and south south region of the country.

Compt. Mohammed Uba Garka who is the customs area controller in-charge of the Unit displayed the items seized at the premises of both the Imo/Aba Command in Owerri and Benin warehouses of the service in Edo State.

He said 18 suspects involved in the deal have been arrested and that the seizure was necessary to protect the economy and encourage local consumption and production.

He said: “Let me state clearly that it is simply not enough to inform you about the seizures and its DPV, what is of paramount importance is that we are implementing government’s policies that would boost our economic growth and provide employment.”

Mohammed said many of the bags of the seized 50kg foreign rice were cleverly re-bagged and re-labeled by the smugglers to beat security check points on the roads.

He expressed sadness and the number of accidents that occour on roads due to substandard tyres smuggled into the country.

He said people doing legitimate businesses had nothing to fear as his men were not out to frustrate innocent people.

He urged people with useful information to provide them to the customs service and promised that suspects would be duly prosecuted.