The Federal Operations Unit, Zone “A” of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recovered N83.1 million from revenue generated through documentary checks and issuance of demand notices on consignments short-paid in Lagos ports.
The Customs Area Controller, Zone “A”, Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.
Ejibunu said that the command had a renewed vigour to fight smuggling and had activated an enhanced intelligence gathering and information sharing mechanism.
He also said that the command was able to identify some new smuggling hot spots and schemes employed by smugglers.
According to him, the strategy yielded 60 seizures with a duty paid value worth N854.1 million, adding that major seizures were also recorded in January
“A total of 3,653 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice equivalent to 6.5 trailer loads, 23,025 litres of PMS, 241 bales of used clothes, 1,490 kg of Hemp and 1,220 cartons of foreign tomato paste were seized in January.
“Other items seized are 983 pieces of used tyres, 104 units of Haojuo motorcycles, 556 cartons of slippers and 11 units of used vehicles.
“Smuggling is a crime that has to do with the act of false declaration and concealment of goods and the use of unapproved routes and ports for the exportation or importation of goods.
“Smuggling is also an act of forging customs documents, wilful under-payment of customs duties, and trafficking in prohibited or restricted goods among others,” Ejibunu said.
He urged members of the public and stakeholders to improve on their collaboration with customs on information and intelligence sharing to enable them recover more revenue for government.
Ejibunu said the general public needed to be aware of the consequences of smuggling and its harmful effects.
He said that constant awareness would help to reduce the demand for smuggled goods and discourage individuals from participating in smuggling activities.
The comptroller said that smuggling is a crime which affects the general well-being of the nation and urged Nigerians to join the enforcement and regulatory agencies to curb the menace.
