Customs Impound Food Items Hidden In Gas Cylinders

The Acting Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A,’ Usman Yahaya, has said two weeks after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.) paid working visit to Lagos, where he showcased N10bn worth of seizures by the FOU, the unit had intercepted food items, which were found hidden inside gas cylinders.

He listed the items to include, 1,393 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice, 187 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 625 cartons of frozen poultry products.

The rice was worth N27.9m, vegetable oil, N6.3m and frozen poultry, N6m, a statement signed by the national Public Relations Officer, NCS, Mr Joseph Attah, quoted Yahaya as saying.

He said the seizures were made along unapproved routes in Ogun State, between February 5 and February 17, by officers who were on routine surveillance patrol.

The FOU controller added that the rice, vegetable oil and poultry products were conveyed in 12 different vehicles and concealed in gas cylinders with a cumulative duty paid value of N40.2m.

Yahaya said, “This desperate act by these daredevil smugglers to conceal edible items in gas cylinders further justifies the hard chase by operatives of Customs.”

He warned that unless the economic saboteurs repented from their unscrupulous activities, they would continue to count their losses.

He also advised legitimate traders to be compliant in their declarations as the unit was ready to facilitate their trade in line with world best practices.

While thanking Ali and the entire management team of the service for providing necessary logistics and motivation that led to the feat, Yahaya called on all meaningful Nigerians to support the service’s fight against smuggling activities by providing intelligence that could assist the unit achieve more seizures.