No fewer than six persons are in customs net over their alleged roles in the importation of contrabands into the country.
Similarly, not less than 13 cases arising from illegal importation of some items into Nigeria are now pending in various high courts located in Calabar, Cross River State; Owerri, Imo State; Benin, Edo State; and Enugu, Enugu State.
These were disclosed by the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘C’, Owerri, Mr. Victor David Dimka, while giving a breakdown of the unit activities in May.
Dimka, a Deputy Comptroller, also disclosed that a total of 34 seizures with duty paid value (DPV) of N88.9 million.
He also revealed that out of the total seizures made for the month, 17 were vehicles with a DPV of N24.3 million.
According to him, the vehicles were confiscated mainly on the Benin – Asaba highway. He advised any interested buyer of vehicle to endeavour to contact the authorities of the closest Customs formation for verification and clearance of the vehicles in question before making payment to avoid possible embarrassment and prosecution if proved otherwise that Customs duty was not paid on such vehicle.
Dimka further disclosed that the other items impounded on the Benin, Calabar, Owerri, Port-Harcourt/Eleme axis as well as Agbor expressway in Delta state include a container load of 294 bales of textile materials with DPV of N18.8 million and three trailer loaded with 50 kilograms imported rice.
The CAC explained that these comprises 1, 357 bags with a DPV of N32.4 million and 48 pieces of imported furniture valued at N5.1 million.
The Customs Chief decried the ceaseless spate of smuggling in the country despite spirited and frantic efforts by the NCS to reduce to the barest minimum the nefarious business and warned those still engrossed in the act to desist forthwith or be prepared to face the full consequences of their unpatriotic activities if arrested.
He assured that officers and men of the service with the continued support and motivation of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Inde Dikko Abdullahi are now fully equipped, better informed and trained to meet challenges thrown up by the excesses of the smugglers.
According to him, NCS would continue to fashion out result oriented strategies and systems that would make smuggling a thing of the past in the country.
He expressed regret over the harm being inflicted on the nation’s economy by smugglers and their sponsors.
He enjoined members of the public to always assist NCS with what he called “useful, reliable and dependable information” bordering on all forms of smuggling so as to ease the operations of the unit.
