Impounds 54 containers of contraband
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated approximately N287billion in 2019 at the Tin Can Island Customs Command, even as the Service impounded 54 containers of rice, unregistered pharmaceutical products, used tyres, used clothing and refined vegetable oil in retail packs.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) revealed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the seizures, noting that the seizures were made in response to his directive to all seaport and airport Customs Commands to beef up their surveillance and intercept any illicit and prohibited consignment which may have become alternatives smuggling avenues following the closure of the land borders.
Giving a breakdown of the seizures, Ali stated that they included 33 containers of rice, one container of rice concealed with spare parts, 11 containers of unregistered pharmaceutical products, two containers of used tyres, one container of used clothing and four containers of refined vegetable oil in retail packs.
According to the Comptroller General, the duty paid value of the 54 containers totaled N2,713,865,051.
The Customs boss stated that all the containers have been seized in line with the provision of Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 LFN 2004 Sections 46 and 161.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that all the rice seized had expired or about to expire and therefore not good for human consumption, noting that the Service had in the past raised alarm and drew the attention of the general public to the fact that most of the imported rice were expired.
Ali disclosed that some of the rice imported from China and Thailand had Nigerian addresses adding that the Service would be going after those addresses to investigate their connections with the importation of those expired rice.
He mentioned some of the addresses to include; Masters Energy Commodities Trading Limited located at 31A Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja,Lagos and 103 Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja even as he added that, “we will be going after these addresses and investigate their connections with these expired bags of rice in 33 containers.”
