By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
Eagle-eye operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone “A”of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have foiled attempt by some smugglers to import into the country large consignment of foreign parboiled rice concealed in Dangote truck, New Nigerian Newspapers has learnt.
Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, acting Controller of the unit who disclosed this during a media briefing in Lagos, said the smugglers covered the bags of rice with sand in an attempt to deceive Customs officers.
Ejibunu, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, decried the reliance of some Nigerians on smuggled foreign rice as food, saying such commodities are subjected to unhygienic and other unwholesome forms of handling
According to Ejibunu, the unit recorded seizures amounting to total duty paid value of N818,124,640 and recovered N64,297,916.23 as revenue from shortfalls in duty payments discovered after documentary checks in the month of May, 2022.
He said, ” During the preceding month, officers of this Unit were on high alert along the port and the border corridors to ensure that, the national economy is protected from the activities of recalcitrant importers and traders.
In the course of duty, various goods were intercepted for different Customs offences, ranging from; accurate duty payment evasion, concealment, under declaration, false declaration, transfer of value, to smuggling.
“These seizures were made from various locations within the Zone 14 suspects were arrested in connection with the crimes.
Prominent among the goods seized within the month under review are:
9,917 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to over 16 truck-loads)
812 X 5Kg and 120 X 2kg bags of basmati rice
41,950 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)
4X20 Ft containers of unprocessed wood
1,041 Bales of used clothes
5 units of vehicles
8,500 pieces of used tyres
599 cartons of frozen poultry products
116.3 kilograms of Indian Hemp
29 units of motor cycles
54 cartons of creams
42 units of Tiger generators
3,260 pairs of used shoes
“The cumulative Duty Paid Value DPV of the seized items is N818,124,640. Consequent upon painstaking documentary checks on some already released cargoes; duties found to have been under paid were reviewed and demand notices issued, the sum of (N64,297,916.23) was paid as revenue into the federal government coffers.
“May I use this opportunity to once again, thank patriotic citizens that provided information that led to the seizure of some un-conspicuous concealments. Likewise, our gratitude also goes to all compliant agents, importers and traders for their compliance. While we appreciate your sense of patriotism; on our part, we shall never relent in facilitating your genuine and legitimate businesses. I urge you to continue doing more to safeguard the economy of our dear country.
I enjoin all unrepentant economic saboteurs to embrace genuine businesses or face the wrath of the law” he said.
The acting Controller showed seizures of rice which has stretched the space capacity of the government warehouse. Other seizures shown to reporters are drugs, wood, used tyres vehicles and other items to reporters
