Customs Seizes Contraband Worth N1.29bn In Ogun
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area 1 Command has intercepted 14 trucks of 50- kilogramme bags of foreign rice and other contraband with a Duty Payable Value (DPV) of N1.29 billion.
The service also explained that petroleum tankers laden with 45, 000 litres of adulterated diesel being imported into the country, were among the seizures between May and June 25 in the state.
Also, the command intercepted 23, 400 pairs of footwear, 289 cartons of tomato paste, 1, 100 packets of Tramadol, as well as several sacks and wraps of weeds, suspected to be Cannabis Sativa among other contrabands.
The Area Controller for Ogun 1 Command, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde explained that the adulterated diesel product was intercepted along the Sagamu – Ijebu Ode expressway, while the bunker absconded upon sighting Customs’ operatives.
Breakdown of the seizures includes 1, 100 wraps of Indian Hemps, packed in book size; 81 wraps in coconut size and another six big sacks of Cannabis Sativa: 168 packets of Cocodomol Codeine syrup packed in 8-bottles of 500mg, as well as 390 cartons of frozen poultry products and 19 bales and 104 sacks of foreign used clothing among others.
The controller said that two trucks conveying 882 bags of the foreign parboiled rice were recorded right inside Abeokuta metropolis, while on transit.
He stressed that his men acted under Section 46 and 169 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), Cap “C45” of the Law of the Federation of Nigeria to effect the seizures.
Lamenting the upsurge witnessed in smuggling activities in Ogun for May/June when compared to that of the previous month of April/May 2022 when the border was freshly reopened, Makinde attributed the trend to the intensity of trading ahead of the forthcoming year 2022 Eid Kabir festival.
He explained that the command generated total revenue of over N12. 8 million from auctions of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) intercepted at different exit points to the Republic of Benin during the anti-smuggling operations, Makinde explained that about 10, 973 litres of the seized petroleum products were disposed of in line with the extant laws.
Makinde handed all the narcotics intercepted to the Controller of Narcotics, Archie-Abia Ibinabo, who led other officials of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) from the Idiroko Special Area Command to the NCS warehouse where the contrabands were being kept.
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