The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone "C" in Owerri has unfolded its first half of 2015 achievement, indicating an income in excess of N1Billion, made from seizures of 226 contraband items.
The Customs Area Controller of the unit; Comptroller Victor Dimka disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the activities of his unit within the first half of 2015, he added that it also arrested 129 suspects in connection with the smuggling of various contraband goods within the period.
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone "C" in Owerri has unfolded its first half of 2015 achievement, indicating an income in excess of N1Billion, made from seizures of 226 contraband items.
The Customs Area Controller of the unit; Comptroller Victor Dimka disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the activities of his unit within the first half of 2015, he added that it also arrested 129 suspects in connection with the smuggling of various contraband goods within the period.
He informed that 118 various smuggling-related cases are pending in various courts within the zone.
Giving a breakdown, he explained that in March, the unit recorded the highest volume of 63 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N337,368,522.00, he added that 25 arrests also made within that month.
The figure he said, far outweighs the 37 seizures with a DPV of N176,483,600 made in January, 40 seizures with of DPV of N136,708,650 in February, 37 with DPV of N83,302,620 in April, 42 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 listed them as including 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 him, 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;, as well as beverages and juice worth N72,000.
Additionally, Comptroller Dimka 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. He said there were 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, Dimka assured that the service is now better-trained, equipped and transformed to meet its challenges.
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