The Area Controller, Mr Bamidele Makinde, made this known while addressing a news conference in Abeokuta on Tuesday.
Makinde stated that the Idiroko land border had been reopened for business since 2022.
He explained that: “The Idiroko border alongside three others reopened in 2022 by the immediate past administration has continued to remain opened for legitimate trade.”
Makinde however warned that “anyone who does business in the unapproved route will be intercepted”.
Giving a scorecard of the command for the months of April and May, the comptroller said the command wielded its big stick on unscrupulous traders who engaged in illicit trade.
He cobfirmed that spectacular seizures included the seizure of three foreign used luxury buses.
Makinde explained that seizures were made with strategic deployment of intelligence across the state which resulted to having over N335 million as the duty paid value of the seizures recorded.
He listed other seizures recorded as 6,924 bags of smuggled par boiled rice of 50kg each, used tyres and cannabis sativa.
Makinde put the total Duty Payable Value (DPV) of the seizures at N335,855,989.
He also disclosed that the command generated about N34.174 million compared to N10,615,618,00 collected in the corresponding period in 2022.
According to him, the figure showed a differential of N23,558,487,00, which is a significant increase of about 69 per cent.
“The command welded its big stick on unscrupulous traders who engaged in illicit trade during the period under review and was able to record spectacular seizures.”he said.
Makinde said they were also intercepted and seized by eagle-eyed officers on a bush path along the Sawojo/Imasayi communities on May 29.
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