Nigeria Customs Service Impounds N1 Billion Worth Of Smuggled Goods

The Comptroller-General Strike Force Team “A” of the Nigeria Customs Service has impounded smuggled goods with street value of over N1 billion.

Some of the seized items include pangolin scales, 40 kg of cannabis sativa, 1010 bags of 50 kg foreign parboiled rice, 100 cartons of red wine, 58 bales of used clothing, and 35 Jerrycans of 25 litres containing Premium Motor Spirit.

Displaying the seized items at the Customs Training College Ikeja, Lagos, the Coordinator of the Team, Deputy Comptroller Mohammed Sani, said the smuggled goods were intercepted from October to November, 2022.

“May I remind you that a ban was imposed on the international trade of pangolins and their parts in 2016. Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), some species of animals are conserved from going into extinction, hence, pangolins among other animals have been subject to exploitation. Campaigns and sensitization on the poaching of pangolins must be intensified since it plays a dominant role in the ecosystem thereby protecting the forest from termites and other insect destructions,” Sani said.

Speaking on the 40 kg of cannabis sativa worth N3.4 million, he said: “This Toyota Camry was intercepted along Imeko, the owner of the car said he was traveling to the Eastern part of the Country before it was seized based on intelligence. A total number of one hundred and three wraps were uncovered with some nylons, obviously to repack and sell. The illicit drugs were cleverly concealed in various compartments of the car known as false bottom making it difficult to be seen.

“These are drugs people take to commit heinous crimes, a lot of vices are being committed with the influence of these illicit drugs. There are so many legitimate trades people can be involved in, or fall into our Web and face the wrath of the Law.”

Reiterating Customs commitment to protect the country against economic saboteurs and generate needed revenue for the Federal Government, he stressed that customs remains determined in enforcing government’s policies.

“In our quest to safeguard our country from the selfish activities of economic saboteurs, collect revenue for the Federal Government, and provide security, we have remained resolute and undeterred at enforcing government’s policies and Customs extant laws. In tandem with the support provided by the management of the Service under the leadership of Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), our strategies are reviewed to defeat smuggler’s game of concealment, false declaration, underpayment, etc. during the yuletide period,” Mohammed noted.

On revenue generated during the period under review (October -November), he said: “It would interest you to know that since our resumption till date, we have cumulatively generated N5,254,784,650 when compared with last year’s revenue of N3,588,016,694 with a difference of N1,666,767,956 representing a 32% increment through demand Notice, underpayment and wrong classification. We have also made a good number of seizures with a total DPV of eight billion five hundred million, nine hundred and three thousand six seventy-three naira N8,500,903,673.00.”