Customs Rake In N3.2bn From Seizures In Katsina
The Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Border Drill Operation Sector 4, Katsina, said it seized various goods with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N3.2 billion, between January and May 2020.
The sector coordinator, Aliyu Mohammed, said the sector which covers the North West Zone, made 801 seizures within the period under review, in addition to the arrest of eight suspects.
Mohammed who made this known in Kaduna, said the seizures comprise 1,713 bales of new textile, 5,400x 25kg bags of parboiled rice, re-bagged in local bags, 385 packs of Indian hemp, 290 bales of used-clothes and pharmaceutical products and injunction.
Others include 9,735 bags of foreign fertilizer: 15-15 NPk without manufacturer’s address and expiring date, and 1.4m litres of Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, and diesel.
…Kwara Command Recovers N1.2bn
In a similar development, Kwara area command and Strike Force Zone ‘A’ have recovered over N1.2 billion from underpayment receipts and concealments between March and May 2020.
While Kwara area command of the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted about 48 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as Indian Hemp containing about 3,722kg, with a street value of N244.9 million; Strike Force Zone ‘A’ seized sundry trade and contraband items worth more than one million naira.
A source close to the office of the Strike Force coordinator, Assistant Comptroller Kadudi. M, listed the items to include rice, detergent, soaps, shampoo, pasta, tomato paste and second hand clothing. Other seizures made by the strike force includes tear gas, hand cuffs, vegetable oil, fairly used tryres etc.
Kwara Customs Area Controller, Compt. Hassan Ahmed, said renewed strategies and regular stakeholders’ engagement was responsible for the command’s record of impressive seizures.
While handing over the Indian Hemp to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Ahmed said the command and his officers were more than ready to implement government’s zero tolerance to smuggling.
He stated: “When I assumed office as controller, we engaged traditional rulers, teeming youths and other stakeholders on the dangers of smuggling, most especially dangerous drugs like Marijuana, Tramadol and others. We have made our territories unfavourable for smugglers of dangerous drugs, foreign rice and other prohibited items, and this has led to the impressive seizure of drugs you are seeing.”
NDLEA State Commander, Mr. Ambrose Umoru, commended the customs area controller and his officers and men for their dedication to duty and determination to stop all acts of economic sabotage.
Umoru expressed the determination of his agency to continue to cooperate with the Customs, in order to realize the objectives of the federal government in bringing down drug smuggling. “We are here to sanitise the state of all criminal acts and we believe that there is need to work together to ensure effective security in the state”, he said.
