Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Nigeria Customs Service,(NCS) Monitoring Team Idiroko Axis said it has made seized illegally imported goods valued at thirty nine million, fifty four thousand, five hundred naira (N39,054,500.00) between 31st July and 1st August, 2015.
Team Coordinator, Deputy Comptroller Yahaya Usman Biri, while addressing journalists said that the first seizure was made on 31st July, 2015, along the Lagos Shagamu Expressway while on an information patrol.
The Coordinator explained that his team trailed the product believed to have entered the country through unapproved routes.
He added that the consignment was loaded in a DAF truck with registration number XS 250 KTU and declared that two (2) suspects, were arrested at the point of interception and have been detained in the NCS facility at Ikeja for further interrogation.
He put the Duty paid Value of the consignment at three million, nine hundred thousand naira (N3,900,000.00) only.
In the same vein, he reported that his team on August 1st 2015 intercepted five (5) brand new Toyota Corolla cars while acting on a tip off along the Lagos Shagamu Expressway.
The five 2015 Toyota Corolla cars have a duty paid value of thirty five million, one hundred and fifty four thousand, five hundred naira (35,154,500.00) only; thus bringing the DPV of the two (2) seizures to thirty nine million, fifty four thousand, five hundred naira (N39,054,500.00) only.
On the position of rice in the tariff, he stated emphatically that importation of rice is not prohibited but that its importation is restricted to the seaports at a duty and levy of 10 percent and 60 percent respectively.
On the seized brand new vehicles, he maintained that his team shares intelligence with other Customs Units/Commands on ways to effectively block smuggling of items in total disregard to the fiscal policies of the Federal Government.
He stated that smugglers will have difficult moment with them in the days ahead following the fine-tuning and re-jigging of their operational modalities in conjunction with other customs formations.
He promised that his team in concert with other NCS teams will remain undaunted in the discharge of their functions despite the hostility exhibited by smugglers adding that his team and others are sincerely committed to the task of suppressing smuggling.