Customs Seize Goods Worth N500 Million Between December And April

CHANNELS TV

The Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) has seized contraband goods worth over 500 Million Naira in Kaduna State.

The Contraband goods were seized by the Customs Compliance Team, Northern Axis between December 2015 and April 2016.

The Officer in Charge of the Team, Musa Jalo, said the seized items were smuggled into the country from Niger Republic through the northern borders in the last four months.

He stated that the latest operation is part of the ongoing effort by the service to block the porous borders and help raise the revenue profile of the commands.

He said there would be more seizures to thwart the activities of some unpatriotic elements who want to cripple the economy of the nation through smuggling.

The compliance team is charged with the responsibility of monitoring and complimenting the enforcement efforts of the commands within the northern axis made up of the 19 States and the Federal Capital Territory.

The seized items seized include jerry cans of vegetable oil, bags of foreign rice, bales of second hand clothes, shoes, used tyres, cartons of spaghetti and used vehicles.

In a move to beat up the prying eyes of customs officials on the highway, the smugglers confined the bales of second hand clothes under bags of animal feeds inside trucks. But through intelligence reports, the customs officials intercepted the trucks.

Deputy Public Relations Officer, Customs Headquarters Abuja, Joseph Attah, said the fight against smuggling can only be won and sustained if all Nigerians will join hands with the Nigeria customs Service by providing useful information to the service about the activities of smugglers.

The Head of the Compliance Team said that similar seizures were also made in Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger among other states.

He also explained that the latest operation is in line with the policy guideline of the present Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hamid Ibrahim Ali, which had embarked on vigorous patrol duties with zero tolerance against any act of smuggling.

According to him, the safest way for smugglers is to change and embrace legitimate business as smuggling is no longer profitable, adding that apart from losing their goods, there is the possibility of them going to jail if they are caught.