The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service said yesterday that it has intercepted various contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about N1.010Billion between April 10th to May 15 2018.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday while displaying some of the seized goods in Lagos, the Area Controller in charge of the unit, Comptroller Muhammad Uba, added that 14 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.
The Controller also said that the unit recovered N28,860,788 as underpayments making the total revenue collected to be N1, 039, 156, 454.
He added that two containers with DPV of over N25 million, were also seized for false declaration.
According to him, "the detained goods include: 30 exotic vehicles including seven Toyota Hilux (2018 models), three Toyota Prado Jeep(2017), one Range Rover, one Ford Edge(2015), 5,516 bags of foreign poultry products, 216 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 173 bales of used clothing, 683 pieces of used tyres, 8 sacks of Indian hemp weighing 134kg among others"
He also said that the federal government has approved the distribution of some of the seized items to the Internal Displaced Persons(IDPs) camps
"For the avoidance of doubt, after court processes and condemnation, the Presidential Committee on IDPs chaired by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Handed Ali(Rtd) has approved the evacuation of the following items to Borno state government for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) through the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport(NASCT).
He also commended the officers and men of the unit for living up to their statutory responsibility in suppression of smuggling.
He also promised the units commitment in fighting the menace of smuggling in the country.
"Let me commend the officers and men of the unit for living up to their statutory responsibilities in suppression of smuggling, blocking of all revenue leakages and enhancing trade facilitation towards sustaining best international standards. We have remained unflinching with our mandates and no amount of distraction will deter us from performing our statutory duties", he concluded.
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