By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ (FOU ‘A’), Ikeja-Lagos, has intercepted 220 consignments of prohibited and smuggled goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.24 billion and recovered N728.98 million in lost government revenue.
The seizures, which cover a wide range of prohibited goods, illicit drugs, pharmaceutical products, vehicles, petroleum products, wildlife items and other contraband, were made through intelligence-led operations and targeted enforcement actions against suspected smugglers and importers involved in customs fraud.
According to the Unit, the intercepted consignments had a total DPV of N3,237,132,640, while the revenue recovered through the enforcement operations amounted to N728,976,725.03.
The Comptroller of FOU ‘A’, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, said the revenue recovery was encouraging, stressing that the Unit would continue to deploy intelligence, risk profiling and compliance checks to identify attempts to evade customs duties and undermine the nation’s revenue base.
Among the major seizures were 4,956 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, equivalent to eight trailer loads; 12 foreign-used vehicles; 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis (Sativa) weighing 1,439.9kg; 49 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 26.1kg; one parcel of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg and 13 parcels of granular cannabis weighing 1.35kg.
The Unit also intercepted 240,000 tablets of Tramadol, 12,000 tablets of Hypnox, 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg, 964 25-litre jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), representing 24,100 litres, and 26 cartons of foreign vegetable oil containing four 5-litre units each.
Other items seized included 686 cartons of foreign poultry products, 414 bales of used clothing and 2,947 pieces of used tyres, among other prohibited and smuggled consignments.
The scale of the seizures, particularly the large volume of illicit drugs and prohibited agricultural and consumer products, highlights the continuing challenge confronting the country’s borders and trade corridors as customs authorities intensify efforts to block the inflow of contraband.
Aliyu said the Unit would not relent in recovering government revenue lost through under-declaration, false declarations and other forms of customs fraud.
He therefore urged importers, exporters and licensed customs agents to ensure that their declarations accurately reflect the contents and value of their consignments, warning that the Service would continue to take decisive action against businesses and individuals involved in revenue evasion.
He said the enforcement activities were not targeted at legitimate businesses but were designed to create a level playing field for compliant traders and protect the Nigerian economy from the consequences of smuggling.
The interception of thousands of bags of foreign parboiled rice, foreign poultry products, vegetable oil, used clothing and foreign-used vehicles, according to the Unit, would help protect local manufacturers and producers from unfair competition created by the illegal importation of prohibited goods.
FOU ‘A’ also linked the seizures to the broader objectives of protecting domestic production, strengthening national food security and safeguarding government revenue.
The drug seizures, which included synthetic cannabis, Ghanaian Loud, crystal methamphetamine, granular cannabis, Tramadol and Hypnox, were similarly described as significant from a public safety perspective.
The Unit said the interception of such substances would help prevent the circulation of illicit and unregulated drugs capable of posing serious risks to public health, particularly among young Nigerians.
Another notable aspect of the operation was the recovery of 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg.
The Customs Service said the seizure reinforces its role in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking and contributes to national and international efforts to protect endangered species from the activities of criminal networks involved in wildlife smuggling.
The interception of 24,100 litres of PMS in 964 jerrycans also points to continued attempts to illegally move petroleum products through the country’s borders and trade routes.
Beyond the seizures, the N728.98 million revenue recovery represents another dimension of the operation, with Customs maintaining that enforcement against false and inaccurate declarations remains critical to protecting the Federal Government’s revenue.
Aliyu attributed the latest successes to improved intelligence gathering, enhanced risk profiling, intelligence fusion, inter-agency collaboration and information supplied by stakeholders and members of the public.
He said the Unit was committed to maintaining a balance between enforcement and trade facilitation, assuring compliant traders that legitimate businesses would continue to receive the necessary support to operate in a predictable and transparent trading environment.
According to him, the Service would continue to facilitate legitimate trade while sustaining its zero-tolerance approach to smuggling, revenue fraud and other activities capable of undermining the Nigerian economy.
He called for stronger cooperation between Customs, the business community, border communities, sister security agencies and members of the public, stressing that intelligence sharing remained critical to tackling increasingly sophisticated smuggling networks.
The Comptroller further reiterated the commitment of FOU ‘A’ to supporting the Federal Government’s economic objectives through protection of domestic production, promotion of customs compliance, facilitation of legitimate trade and prevention of the entry and circulation of prohibited and harmful goods.
The Unit said the latest operation demonstrated that its enforcement strategy was increasingly focused on intelligence rather than indiscriminate interception, with risk profiling being used to identify suspicious consignments and target areas of high compliance risk.
It also acknowledged the contribution of sister agencies, stakeholders, border communities and members of the public to its enforcement activities.
Aliyu urged the business community and members of the public to sustain their cooperation with the Service, noting that collective vigilance and compliance were essential to consolidating gains in revenue recovery, border security, public safety and national economic development.
