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The Controller of Western Marine Customs Command, Comptroller Boyilila Binga briefing newsmen before destroying 3201 cartons of seized poultry products, yesterday. Compt. Binga assures efficient use of new gun boats
By Kenneth Jukpor
The Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday, destroyed three thousand, two hundred and one (3201) cartons of smuggled poultry products with a duty paid value (DPV) of N32,410,125.00.
The Controller of the Command, Comptroller Boyilila Binga who led the exercise, disclosed that the items were intercepted at the Bar Beach entrance to Nigeria at about 3pm on Friday, last week.
Comptroller Binga noted that the Command’s earlier seizure of 120 cartons was a warning to the smugglers to show that the officers were informed of their illicit practices, adding that the persistence of the smugglers led to the Command’s full swing which resulted to the seizure of the 3201 cartons of poultry products.
He told newsmen at the event, that with the commissioning of two gunboats by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Ali Hammed (Rtd.), the operatives of Western Marine Command comb the sea to tackle smuggling to the barest minimum.
“These items were seized at the entrance of the Bar Beach entrance into Nigeria. It was gotten at around 3pm on the 13th of September. The DPV is N32.4million. This is the beginning of a new era because we have commissioned our gun boats to combat smuggling. Smugglers just have to look for another job” he said.
Speaking on the quality of the newly commissioned gun boats, he said, “You don’t compare a with a Volkswagen Beatle engine with a Rolls Royce engine. The vessels we just commissioned are Rolls Royce propelled engines. Within the next couple of days you would see them on the high sea and this would enhance our mobility in terms of speed”
He also assured that the Customs Command would be judiciously manage the new boats as mandated by the government and the Customs management.
