The Ports & Terminals Multipurpose Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised alarm over alleged high rate of forgery of customs duty payable on imported vehicles by unscrupulous individuals parading themselves as customs clearing agent.
The Customs Public Relations Officer (PRO) in charge of the command, Mr. Yakubu Muhammad, who disclosed this via a social media platform last week, said the situation was what degenerated to the protest carried out at PTML by some fake agents last week.
Shipping Position Daily recalled that on Thursday last week, group of agents, staged a peaceful protest at PTML in Tin Can Island, accusing customs of placing multiple alerts, even after valuation, a move which they said was intended to extort more money from them, as well as accrue demurrage.
But reacting to this, Yakubu described the claim by the agents as false, even as he added that some miscreants go to the extent of cutting down the actual year the vehicle was manufactured so as to cut corners.
“It is really a false allegation, the true picture of what happened is that some miscreants protest on the issue of alert on undervaluation, fake valuation and also cutting year of manufacture for the vehicle”
Explain further he said, “for example a vehicle is supposed to pay N3miilion, the agent will go and forge valuation outside the Customs to pay N2million. If that happens, the valuation officer will place ‘Alert’ on such vehicle. Do they expect the Customs officer to allow them carry such vehicles? For sure, multiple alerts even from Abuja will be placed on such consignments”
The Command image maker maintained that there is alert from the valuation office of the command due to the atrocities committed by fake agents in the area.
“Yes, there is alert from valuation because of the atrocities that they are committing and most of the people behind it are not licensed customs agent; most of the people involved in this act are touts and not real agent, he said.
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