The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has said that it arrested 35 suspects and intercepted 93 vehicles with other smuggled items.
The controller of the command, Zulkifli Abdullahi made this known on Wednesday, during a press briefing held at the command head office in Ibadan.
He said the command seized 7, 951 items between January and July.
Abdullahi said, “35 suspects have been arrested in connection with the smuggling of different goods. Five has been charged to court, while others are on bail.”
The customs boss noted that the total duty paid for the 93 vehicles that were seized was put at N105, 097, 529.
He continued, “Also intercepted were one used blue coloured Peugeot 406; one used ash coloured Toyota Corolla; one used black coloured Toyota Sequodia; one use white coloured Toyota Highlander, and 38 means of conveyance vehicles were seized.”
He explained further that the command also seized 6,607 (50Kg) bags of imported parboiled rice; 730 kegs of 25litres vegetable oil; 39 Bales of second-hand clothing; 59 (50Kg) bags of sugar; 966 pieces of used tyres, and 6 bundles of textile materials.
Abdullahi said the Nigeria Customs would continue to intensify its intelligence and operational strategies in the course of suppressing smuggling.
“In our efforts to combat smuggling, we commissioned a Customs outpost at Kishi Community in Irepo Local Government area of Oyo state, because Kishi has been long perceived to engage in smuggling with impunity and are very hostile to officers of the NCS.”
He, however, appealed to the governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde to prevail on Kishi people to refrain from their perceived activities and eschew the avowed hostility to officers of the command so as to save themselves from the long arm of the law.
Abdullahi hinted that his men would continue to dialogue, engage and educate the local and business communities on the security and economic implications of smuggling, while carrying out the statutory functions of enforcing compliance with the government fiscal policy
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