By Ifeoma Ikem
Seme command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) seized four thousand, seven hundred and forty-five (4,745) bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice which is equivalent to over eight (8) trailer load with the Duty Paid Value (DPV) eighty-five million, five hundred and four thousand Naira (N85, 504, 000).
The command also impounded a total of twenty-three (23) vehicles among them seventeen (17) fairly used and six (6) means of conveyance namely; Toyota Highlander (2013), Hyundai Azera Limited (2016) Toyota Camry (2010), Toyota Corolla (2012), Volvo FL7 285 Truck among others with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of eighty-seven million, five hundred and ninety-five thousand, seven hundred and two (N87, 595, 702).
Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba disclosed this during a press briefing at Seme, that the intensified operation of the Enforcement Unit of the command has drastically reduced smuggling activities to the barest minimum while giving the breakdown of other seizures items made with the period to include; 27 x 25 litres jerrycans of Vegetable Oil valued at N346, 275, 34 x 50kg of Sugar valued at N567,000, 261 x 25litres of PMS valued at N391,500 and 80 cartons of Poultry products valued at N720,000.
Others are; 95 x 6 yards of new textile materials valued at N1, 026,000, 24 cartons of Maggi valued at N162,000, 20 pieces of household effects valued at N675,000, 19 boxes of frozen seafood valued at N192,375, 68 parcels of Tramadol valued at N918,000 and 10 parcels of Cannabis, all successfully handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with one of the suspects handed a two year sentence after diligent prosecution.
He further stated that 220 x 6 yards of Ankara textiles valued at N1,782,000, 180 sacks of scrap metals intercepted in a Volvo FL7 Truck along Owode axis valued at N8,505,000 and a Scania 280 truck carrying two Polaris terrain trucks and other household items were also impounded.
According to him, “While on a joint mobile patrol, four (4) robbery suspects namely; Ibrahim Fasasi, Alex Bright, Godwin Sunday Abiodun Sodiq were arrested at Gbaji bridge axis with ammunition and charms on the 30th January, 2019, all handed over to FSARS Mowo Base”.
He said that five suspects were arrested during the period under review, he added that the command’s resolve to strengthen its anti-smuggling operations against trans-border crimes and equally improve revenue led to the blockage of the illegal route leading to Atlas Park across the border.
“Consequently, freight forwarding activities receive a boost courtesy of Transit Protocols in line with international best practices.
The command is working assiduously to guarantee a smoother experience by clearing the congestion within the shortest time possible”, he said.
Uba added that the command had so far collected the sum of one billion, two hundred and sixty million, six hundred and eighty-four thousand, two hundred and twenty-six Naira, ninety-one Kobo (N1, 260, 684, 226. 91) while putting the grand total for both the seizures and revenue with the period under review at N1, 475, 050, 377.91.