Nigeria: Smuggling - Customs Chief Reads Riot Act.

[Warbux]

Lagos — The Area Controller of Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller E. D. Kane Wednesday in Lagos warned smugglers to desist from their nefarious activities or face wrath of the Unit, saying the Unit is charged to stamp out the4 smuggling activities in the its area of jurisdiction.

He disclosed that the Unit in the last three weeks of his resumption office in the command, has made 110 seizures of general goods with duty paid value of N251 million which includes textiles, garments, used tyres shoes, used hand bags, rice and vegetable oil.

He disclosed that 60 vehicles with duty paid value of N29 .3 million, saying that the Unit have since he assumed office, broken new grounds in it anti-smuggling campaign with regards to smuggling of hard drugs.

He said: "My officers in the Olorunda axis, caught a Mazda bus with Registration Number Ogun A,J 693 AAB fully loaded with cannabis, otherwise known as Indian Hemp (Marijuana) on February 27, 2010. The total value is estimated to be N15 million, he stressed, saying that investigation regarding the ownership of the vehicle and the consequent apprehension of the culprit is on-going.

Comptroller Kane further said that the total duty paid value of the general goods, vehicles and the cannabis is about N295 million, even as a total number of 40 suspects were arrested and 237 of them have been released on bail. Three of the suspects are currently in the FOU cell, while eight are pending in the court.

He disclosed that during the period under review, the Unit recorded a total of 156 detentions comprising of 32 (1x40) containers, eight 91x20) containers abd 43 means of conveyance. "On this, some have been released after assessment, investigation and proper revenue collected where necessary," he disclosed.

Meanwhile, smugglers in the Northern Zone of the Country have continued to count their losses as Officers and Men of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Kaduna sustain assault on illicit traders across the borders.

Comptroller in charge of Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, Abu Bawa Gusau, while briefing Newsmen, on another round of seizures of assorted textile materials, children wears and furniture with duty paid value of N400.8 million, reiterated his determination to stamp out smuggling in his zone.

Comptroller Gusau said though his Zone is vast covering eleven states including the Federal capital Territory, their capacity to effectively police the zone is boosted by improved logistics and welfare programmes of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Abdulahi Dikko.

He said criminal minded importers always try to abuse the good intention of ECOWAS liberalization Scheme by importing falsely labelled items to claim that they are manufactured in the region and evade payment of duty or to smuggle in a prohibited item like in the case of a China printed fabric labelled made in Nigeria. It will be recalled that just two weeks ago the same Comptroller briefed journalist on similar seizures with duty paid value of N 165m.

Comptroller Gusau's aggressive anti-smuggling style has turned the Northern borders into hell for smugglers.

The Comptroller called on Border Community dwellers to provide useful information to customs and provide no hiding place for smugglers as they are enemies to our Economic and Security wellbeing.

The items seized include

1. 2 X 40ft containers fully loaded with printed fabrics

2. 2 trucks loaded with Laces and printed fabrics

3. 1 truck loaded with furniture and children wears.

All the seized items have been transferred to the Government Warehouse Kaduna.

Two persons are in detention in connection with the crime while investigation to get to the root of the illicit trade is on.



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Source: Daily Champion
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[Caber1]

Thanks for the comedy relief.

[Warbux]

Originally Posted by Caber1

Thanks for the comedy relief.

Anytime Bro..lol