The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 3,792 parcels of Indian hemp of worth over N379 million, smuggled into the country from Ghana.
While displaying the seizures to newsmen in Lagos yesterday, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Comptroller Aliyu Muhammed described the seizure as the biggest in the history of the Unit, noting that the bags of indian-hemp were seized along the borders of Idiroko and Oyo axis and two suspects arrested.
According to him, a total of 34 units of vehicles of different brands worth N784, 411, 452.00; 710 cartons of Tramadol valued at N808, 000, 000.00 were among the myriads of seizures made within the period.
The Customs boss, while conducting journalists round the seized items said the cannabis intercepted by officers and men of unit is the highest figure recorded so far in the history of the Federal Operations Unit.
Items that make up the seizure include 39,664 bags of rice worth N525,639,228, 3,792 kg of Indian hemp with 379,200,000 DPV; 2,887kg of vegetable oil with N31,179,600 DPV; 2,520pieces of textiles valued at N30,240,000; 5×20ft of unprocessed wood valued at N30,000,000 and 1,439 pieces of used tyres worth N11,655,900.
Others are; 2,837 cartons of poultry valued at N23,830,808; 180 pieces of compressors valued at N,6,480,000 and 17 sacks of pangolin scale with DPV of N115,668,000.
The Controller however noted that between August 17 to December 10, 2018, the unit had made seizures of various items with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N5.1 billion.
The Customs boss assured that the Unit would not relent on its efforts until there is a total compliance that will translate to effective revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, facilitation of legitimate trade and protecting Nigeria’s national security.
CAC Mohammed noted that some desirable results have been achieved via the proactive steps of enforcement unit and the policy of the Federal Government in sustaining agriculture and self-sufficient in food production, revamping the economic recovery plan, protecting national security, among other virtues.
He said, “The non-compliance of stakeholders who chose to negate and abuse these procedures will always fall victims of FOU sanctions that have zero tolerance to deliberate infractions”
He referred to the seizures as his yuletide gift from the Nigeria Customs Service (FOU Zone A), assuring Nigerians that the Service would continue to up the ante in the bid to combat the menace of smuggling especially on drugs and other addictive substances.
By Kenneth Jukpor
