Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Headquarters Compliance Team Idiroko axis of the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) headed by Assistant Comptroller of Customs Shittu Ajibola,has seized an Isuzu mini truck with registration number LSR 22 XQ, suspected to belong to Fedex Courier Express.
The vehicle was allegedly conveying one hundred (100) cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products.
According to an authoritative source, the team shortly after inauguration, embarked on heightened intelligence gathering network, aimed at unraveling new strategies employed by smugglers to beat security Agents.
This latest approach, which is a paradigm shift from the conventional method, led to the interception of this truck along the Ijebu-Ode – Sagamu road on 13th January, 2016 at 0530hrs.
The team leader, Shittu Ajibola ascribed his latest exploit to the team’s strict adherence and comprehension of the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
The team leader while speaking on the ingenuity and desperation of smugglers who will stop at nothing to smuggle, stated that nobody would have thought that a vehicle that ought to be used to ferry parcels and other materials, could be used to smuggle, fuelling suspicion that it may not be the first time such this illicit transaction will take place.
He promised to fight smuggling in line with the mission and vision of the NCS Management.
It will be recalled that the same team made a similar remarkable seizure recently when it intercepted a truck belonging to a haulage company used in smuggling over five thousand and twenty (5020) cartons of foreign frozen poultry products, concealed with two thousand and sixteen (2016) cartons of table water.
He stated that the smugglers used parcels to conceal the smuggled products which makes it symbolic. The team leader called on viguan to oblige them with useful information that could heep them in the fight against smuggling, promising that legitimate trade will receive their support in terms of facilitation.
He stated that smugglers have perchance for change of tactics but that his team will always remain ahead of their pranks however sophisticated.
The team leader stressed that the latest clampdown is symptomatic and testament of the operational readiness of the compliance team to ensure total compliance with the Federal Governments fiscal policy on trade.
He stated that the team has a responsibility to decimate the nefarious activities of smugglers whose actions are detrimental to the nation’s economy.