The Ogun Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, on Thursday, July 15, 2021, said it generated total revenue of N15,261,074.00 in the first six months of the year 2021.
Peter Kolo, the customs Area Comptroller, who made disclosed this at a press conference at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko, stated that the command also seized 34,540 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, which is an equivalent of 58 trailer loads, with other contraband goods within the period under review.
Kolo noted that “if this quantity of rice is allowed into the Nigerian market, it will put the federal government rice policy into jeopardy.”
Other contraband goods seized within the period under review, according to Kolo, included 31 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil, 30 bags of 50 kg. sugar, 51 cartons of tomato paste, 1,514 wraps of cannabis sativa.
Other items included 44 pieces of used tyres, 2,224 kegs of 25 litres of petrol, 1,110 cartons of poultry products, 84 bales of second-hand clothes, 115 pairs of used footwear, 12 sacks of used handbags, 20 cartoons of medicament, and 127 pieces of body cream.
Kolo added that the cumulative duty paid value (DPV) for all the seized items amounted to eight hundred and thirty-four million, seven hundred and sixty-five thousand, two hundred and seventy-three Naira, and zero Kobo(#834,765,273.00).
He said, “I am pleased to intimate you of our monumental achievements in the area of anti-smuggling activities during the period under review in which the command has been able to record a spectacular seizure of 34,540 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, equivalent of 58 trailer loads.”
He added that the command generated total revenue of #15,261,074.00 in the half-year of 2021, which are mainly proceeds of auction sales of seized petroleum products (PMS) and scrap metals, stressing that the federal government’s directive on border closure is still subsisting, hence, there is no revenue generated from imports activities.
Kolo reiterated that the intelligence network in the command is still very active as the command has deployed intelligence in virtually all its operations which, he said has yielded greater successes and is continuously being recorded on daily basis.
He warned criminal elements in the state that in whichever way and methods they plan their smuggling activities, its men shall definitely uncover it, make an arrest and inflict gross financial injury on such perpetrators.”
He reiterated that the continuous attacks on customs and other security operatives in the state by some criminal elements will not deter his men from sustaining the onslaught on their smuggling activities.
“We are determined more than ever before carry out this battle to its logical conclusion.”
Source: Vanguard
