Ogun Customs Command Records Reduction In Car Smuggling

Fresh indications emerged recently that the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Custom Service may have witnessed a reduction in the rate at which smugglers bring in vehicles through the border as the command recently announced that importers of these vehicles are now complying to duty payments.

Fresh indications emerged recently that the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Custom Service may have witnessed a reduction in the rate at which smugglers bring in vehicles through the border as the command recently announced that importers of these vehicles are now complying to duty payments.
Customs Area Controller of the command, Mr. Bamidele Akande who was speaking at the 5th Anniversary and a One Day Transport Development Symposium and Excellence Awards of the TransQuest Magazine held in Lagos recently said that as a result of the zero tolerance that the command has for smuggling, many of the vehicle importers are now willing to pay the correct duty on their vehicles instead of losing it to the government.
The custom boss confessed that this has further boosted the revenue collection of the command. Speaking, he said ‘’we have had increased number of vehicles which are always smuggled across the borders and we have had an increasing number of people complying, willingly and reporting to pay duty on their vehicles and this has increased duty generation from my command’’, he said.
Akande however went further to say that seizures from unscrupulous importers trying to smuggle cargoes through the Ogun command.
According to him the command has been able to record success from seizures on general cargoes and other kinds of cargo and that it has also generated revenues to the government through duty payment by importers through their agents.
‘’Unscrupulous importers divert their vehicles through the neighbouring seaports looking for leeway to bring in vehicles into the customs territory but we have been working assiduously towards blocking all the loopholes in that area and those who have come in contact with us always have a nasty story to tell because we run them out of the business’’.
The controller added that with the training given to his men in the command, success has been recorded on a daily basis.