Customs Strike Force Intercepts Unprocessed Woods Worth N373.5m

The Comptroller-General of Customs Strike Force, Team A, has intercepted four containers of unprocessed woods worth N373.5 million.

The unprocessed woods were about being shipped out of the country to Asia when they were seized by the men of the service.

The Federal Government had in 2019 outlawed the export of unprocessed woods and allied products to protect the nation’s forest.

Coordinator, CGC Strike Force Team A, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Ahmadu Shuaibu, while showcasing the items in Ikorodu, Lagos, said the team in a renewed vigour seized four containers loaded with unprocessed woods. He said the smugglers of the woods defied export prohibition list.

According to him, unscrupulous businessmen are ridding on the determination of government to improve on the nation’s export trade, to indulge in the illegal shipment of woods to Asia.

He said the team would go after those behind the illegal exports and cripple the finances of the sponsors.

“Among other seized items are 550 cartons of foot wears, 343 rolls of synthetic grass cover and 1,709 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice with a cumulative Duty Paid Value of N664.6 million.

“Within the period January and June 2021, a total of 86 seizures were made and they were found to have contravene different sections of the Customs and exercise laws. The goods are worth the N1.65 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV)

“Sequel to meticulous documentary checks, the ICT components of the team recovered the sum of N1.9 billion from Demand Notices (DN) raised within the period under review (January and June 2021).

“Considering the socio-economic , security and health effects on the national economy, importers and exporters and traders are advised to be committed to the well being of the nation’s economy by complying with the Federal government extant laws and policies aimed at reviving the moribund industries and to sustain the existing ones,” he said.