The Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U.) Zone `A` of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said on yesterday that it intercepted 277 contraband valued at N84.5 million in July.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Uche Ejesieme, told newsmen in Lagos that within the corresponding period in 2012, the service intercepted 256 illegal imports worth N97.1 million.
Givuing details of the activities, the PRO said:“For July 2012, we had a total of 256 seizures of assorted contraband valued at N80, 486,238 with a Duty Paid Value of N97, 142,941.
The Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U.) Zone `A` of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said on yesterday that it intercepted 277 contraband valued at N84.5 million in July.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Uche Ejesieme, told newsmen in Lagos that within the corresponding period in 2012, the service intercepted 256 illegal imports worth N97.1 million.
Givuing details of the activities, the PRO said:“For July 2012, we had a total of 256 seizures of assorted contraband valued at N80, 486,238 with a Duty Paid Value of N97, 142,941.
“We also apprehended a total of 15 suspects in connection with the seizures, while for July 2013, we had a total of 277 seizures of assorted contraband — valued at N70, 948, 856 with a Duty Paid Value of N84, 557 627 and we apprehended a total of 24 suspects.
“So, from the report, it is very clear that the unit under the leadership of Comptroller Nuhu Isa Mahmud has been working assiduously toward ensuring that we remain on top of our statutory function of suppressing smuggling.
“Sometimes, these seizures, they don’t attract the same value; you could make just a single seizure that might have a bigger value than 10 seizures.
“So, it actually depends on the consignment because what we try to do is to make sure that we value in accordance with the statistical data at our disposal, “ Ejesieme said.
He said that the number of suspects increased in July compared to the corresponding period of 2012, adding that the management would support the government to accomplish the fiscal policy.
According to him, “from the records, you have seen that in 2012, we had only 15 suspects while for the same period this year, we had a total of 24 suspects.“That will again show you the level of commitment of the unit in terms of ensuring that smugglers are apprehended in connection with their smuggled items.
“That is not far from the admonishment of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Abdullahi Dikko Inde, that all seizures must be accompanied with suspects. We will continue to improve on that. “Some of them had been charged to court and some of them are still being investigated and as soon as we conclude investigations on them, I will oblige you the information,“ he said.
Ejesieme advised smugglers to desist from smuggling, adding that the act was injurious to the economy and also the society at large.
He said that if the smugglers refused to stop smuggling, the command would continue to seize.
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