Customs Impound N197.4m Contraband, Generate N224m

The Nigeria Customs Service ‘Zone D’ said it had intercepted smuggled goods valued at N197.4m.

It said the goods were seized between November 2019 and March 24, 2020.

The Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, ‘Zone D’ comprising Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa states, Adesanmi Omiye, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Zonal headquarters in Bauchi.

According to him, within the period, five sacs of pangolin shells weighing 150kg, 799 bags of foreign rice, 218 jerricans of 25kg of vegetable oil, and 628 cartons of foreign soaps were intercepted.

Others were 12 vehicles, eight motorcycles, 117 jerricans of petrol, 20 bales of used clothes and 40 wraps of marijuana.

He said, “On February 15, the operatives of the unit together with the Strike Force Team and Adamawa/Taraba Command offices on Gella Road checkpoint in Mubi, Adamawa State, intercepted a bus with number plate XA 421 KBY, conveying five sacs of Pangolin shells weighing 150kgs with Duty Paid Value of N166.4m only.

“On February 25, the operatives of Federal Operations Unit, ‘Zone D’ Bauchi, based on intelligence, raided some warehouses/shops in Gombe and successfully impounded 327 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice and 386 cartons of 80 pieces per carton of foreign soap with total Duty Paid Value of N3.2m.”

Omiye added that on February 10, a joint patrol team along Karasuwa area of Yobe State made a seizure of 24 bags of 50kg each of foreign parboiled rice and 10 bags of 25kg each of foreign parboiled rice among others.

He warned smugglers to desist from their nefarious activities even as he reiterated the commitment of the service to ensure that all those apprehended would face the full wrath of the law.

He said, “I want the smugglers to know that we will continue to unleash our strategies in order to have a smuggling-free society.”

Meanwhile, he said the zone generated N224.7m within three months.