The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri, Imo State has recorded 226 seizures of contraband items with a Duty Paid Value of N1,016,833,292.00.
It arrested 129 suspects in connection with the smuggling of various contraband goods between January and June this year, while 118 cases are pending in various courts within the zone.
The Customs Area Controller of the unit, Comptroller Dimka Victor David, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the seizures recorded by his unit within the first half of 2015.
David made it clear that March recorded a total of 63 seizures with a DPV of N337,368,522.00, which, according to him, was the highest seizure, with 25 arrests made within the period under review.
The figure he said was at variance with 37 seizures with a DPV of N176,483,600 made in January, 40 seizures with of DPV of N136,708,650 in February, 37 seizures with DPV of N83,302,620 in April, 42 seizures with DPV of N141,228,100 in May and 47 seizures with DPV of N138,341,400 in June.
He attributed the massive seizures made in March to an apparent stronger quest for materialism by the suspects involved in an ever-increasing corruption prone society.
Shedding more light on the seizures made within the months in question, the Customs Area Controller, who expressed concern at the persistent cases of smuggling in the country despite obvious stiff penalties for those arrested, listed 210 vehicles, 990 bales of textiles and second hand clothing, 126 packages of furniture and 296 bales of fairly used bags and suitcases worth N456,704,500; N101,805,700; N19,584,000; and N30,143,400 respectively.
Others according to David were: 3,905 pieces of used tyres amounting to N53,502,100; 2,126 cartons of imported frozen poultry products worth N30,566,804; 1,731 bags of 50kg rice worth of N35,678,600; beverages and juice worth N72,000.
Additionally, David said that 2,686 pieces of used footwear estimated at N6,253,800; 37 cartons of foreign soap/detergents with 202 cartons of foreign vegetable oil amounting to N6,874,020; other goods, which include electrical and electronics parts with used fridges and compressors, machinery, all used for concealing the items worth N303,391,772.
While appealing to members of the public for corporation and support in the onslaught against smuggling, David promised that the NCS is now better trained, equipped and transformed to meet its challenges.
He particularly commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, for his sustained motivation and support to men of the NCS in the discharge of their duties, noting that these have all the more strengthened their spirit and commitment in the fight against smuggling.
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