Customs FOU Zone C, Owerri impounds N1,95b worth of contraband goods in Q3

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone C, Owerri has recorded 231 seizures of contraband goods with an overall Duty Paid Value of N1,957,529,375.00 in the third quarter of the year 2016.
This was in contrast to the 379 seizures with a DPV of N2,224,245,797.00 impounded in 2015.
The Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Mamudu Haruna, disclosed this through the Public Relations Officer, Ifeoma Onuigbo, while briefing newsmen on the performance of officers and men of the unit in the third quarter of the year.
Haruna said the underpayment of N548,700,997 recovered this year amounted to an increase in the percentage of revenue generated by the NCS in contrast to that of N105,207,807.00 underpayment recovered in the year 2015.
According to Comptroller Haruna, 22 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, which were impounded on the Benin axis, Asaba-Agbor-Onitsha Expressway, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri and Port-Harcourt axis of the South South and South East zones of the federation, while 16 cases are pending in court.
He stressed that the feat was successfully accomplished as a result of the renewed determination of the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali, to rid the country of all forms of illegal importation.
The Customs Area Controller enumerated the items impounded to include 121 vehicles; 3,082 bags of 50kg rice; 1,454 cartons/set of furniture; 5,120 pieces of used foreign tyres; 625 cartons of fake medicaments; and 2,600 pieces of imported school bags.
Also seized were 63 containers of log of wood; 97 pieces of 14-stroke engine generator; 30,181 cartons imported frozen poultry products; 1,148 bales of second hand clothing; as well as 2,331 cartons of foreign detergents and creams.
The rest of the items are 1,339 pairs of foot wears; 142 pieces of used refrigerators and compressors; 155 cartons of plastic and articles of plastics; 129 cartons of ceramics and articles of ceramics; in addition to 803 bags of scrap metals.
Comptroller Haruna, who expressed concern at the continued indulgence of some Nigerians in the nefarious act of smuggling despite official stiff penalty for culprits arrested, said the NCS would remain resolute and undeterred in its efforts to stamp out the scourge in the country.
He said the NCS is always well equipped, mobilized and motivated to dislodge smugglers, their collaborators and agents where ever they hibernate.
The Controller, therefore, warned all die hard smugglers who are still trapped in the illegal business to purge themselves of this before the long arm of the law catches up with them.
Haruna also renewed his appeal to members of the public with useful information about smugglers to always make such information available to his men or to other sister security agencies for necessary action, assuring them that the identity of such informers will never be disclosed.