Customs seizes contraband worth N1.2bn in Q1

The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it seized contraband worth N1.2billion  in the first quarter.

Comptroller of the Zone, Yusuf Lawal, said this in Owerri, Imo  on Wednesday, while briefing journalists on the achievements of the unit from January to March.

He listed the seized items to include 2,976 bags of 5kg each of foreign parboiled rice and 1,024 cartons of Colcaps medicament that had no certification from the National Agency for Food,  Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Others were 290 cartons of foreign Eva soap, 294 cartons of foreign tomato paste, 130 jumbo bales of used clothing, 5,200 live ammunition cartridges and six exotic vehicles without End User certificate.

He further said the unit recovered the sum of N7.5 million from demand notices raised within the period under review.

Lawal thanked the Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.), for providing logistics support for the activities of the unit, while appreciating the contributions of his officers to the anti-smuggling drive of the NCS.

He also urged Nigerians to support the Service in the fight against smuggling through credible and timely intelligence and pledged improved services in the second quarter of the year.

“I urge all well-meaning Nigerians to support the Service in the fight against smuggling by providing credible and timely intelligence that will help the unit reduce smuggling to its barest minimum.

“As we hope to improve in the second quarter, I also advise smugglers to desist from the dastardly act.

“Smugglers can take advantage of social intervention programmes of the Federal Government, especially in the area of agriculture and improve their lives because the long arm of the law will not spare them when they are eventually caught,” he said.