The Seme Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) says it has intercepted Premium Motor Spirit worth N7,697,299.00 in the last eleven months of 2019. This is even as the Command stated that within the same period under review, hard drugs and narcotics worth N37,874,400.00 were impounded by its officers.
Disclosing this on Monday during a press briefing at the joint border post, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba disclosed that within the period of eleven months, the command anti-smuggling operations yielded a total of 1302 seizures with a duty paid value (DPV) of N 1,578,825,136.00.
According to Uba Garba, “These seizures include the following: 28,180x50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to 47 trailers load with DPV plus levy of N777,735,270.00; 140x50kg of Sugar with DPV of N588,000.00; 62 numbers of used vehicles and means of conveyance with DPV of N220, 435,130.00; 1100 bales of used clothing and 101 sacks of used clothing with DPV of N70,173,465.00; 185 sacks of shoes, bags, belt, slippers both new and used with DPV of N27, 600,704.00; 1,539x6yard, 30x7yard, and 16x6yard of textile materials and wrappers with DPV of N10,521,475.00; 5,489 cartons of frozen poultry products with DPV of N49,401, 000.00; 397x25ltrs, 9x10ltrs and 37x5ltrs of vegetable oil with DPV of N138,620,396.00; 2,109x25ltrs of premium motor spirit (PMS) with DPV of N7,697,299.00; 14, 955 items of general merchandise with DPV of N234, 390 597.00; and 1992 parcels of hard drugs and narcotics with DPV of N37,874,400.00.”
He attributed the harvest of seizures recorded during the period under review to the strategic policy measures put in place to tackle the menace of smuggling, irregular migrations and other trans-border crimes.
He further reiterated his commitment to ensuring that smuggling business becomes unattractive through vigorous community and public enlightenment, sensitisation on the dangers of smuggling and its impact on the economy and national security.
Similarly, the command said it collected the sum of N4, 941, 393, 548. 90 from January till date, representing 76% of its annual allotted target of N 6, 506, 588, 275. 31 into the Federation account.
The Grand Total for both seizures and revenue stood at N6, 520, 218, 684.90.
Speaking on inter-agency collaboration and synergy, the comptroller noted that, the 1992 parcels of hard drugs and Narcotics have been successfully handed over to NDLEA while 47 suspects were arrested in connection with different kinds of crime committed, and were all handed over to all sisters agency saddled with the responsibility of investigating and subsequent prosecution.
“From the feedback received, some suspects were released on administrative bails, while other cases are still undergoing various stages of trial in courts.
“It may delight you to note that, four of the 47 suspects arrested have been convicted having pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them by the Federal High Ikoyi in Lagos state. They are now serving various prison terms, namely; one Ibrahim Musa (m)29yrs, Abubakar Sabo (m)19yrs, Godwin Edet (m)24yrs, Maxwell Zosu (m)26yrs for unlawful possession of 5.7kgs, 5.1kgs, 4kgs and 2kgs of Cannabis Sativa respectively,” Comptroller Uba Garba added.