Customs Strike Force generates N460million from seized items

By Ifeoma Ikem

Operatives unit,Customs strike force of FOU, Zone A of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS through their National Coordinator , DC Abdullahi Kirawa, recorded seizures of 40ft truck loaded with 304 cartons of imitation jewelries, worth N36.48million but falsely declared by the importer, in attempt to evade duty payment to government.

Others item displayed are truck load of 1,698 expired tyres concealed with empty crates of beer, worth N8.49million.

The force also nabbed four suspects in connection with the seized items.

DC Kirawa,while conducting interview with pressmen condemned the level of economic sabotage in strong terms, exclaimed

The importer of the Jewelries falsely declared the items in a deliberate attempt to deceive our officers but was seized through intelligence.“This attracts outright seizures because it contravenes Section 46 of CEMA on concealment, wrong entry and false declaration.  

Any goods falsely declared pose security problems to the nation.The Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Hameed Ali has equipped us to do the work,these items are seized will serve as deterrent to others.”40ft truck loaded with expired tyres but concealed with empty crates of beer: “Look at the expired tyres for instance. These tyres are capable of causing fatal accident and even death on our roads. All hands must be on deck to curb this kind of illegality in our economic environment”.

Other items seized by the Strike force team include truck loaded with 705 bags of foreign rice, worth N9.87million, with container number; GESU 56225417.

Also seized was another 40ft truck loaded with 77 bales of Jeans trousers, 16 bales of ladies belt, 12 bales of new T-Shirts and seven bales of new female hand bags worth N38.77million.

DC Kirawa explained that all the items seized amounted to over N460million.More so, Toyota Avalon, worth N2.5million, a truck load of second hand clothes and many other prohibited items were among the items seized by the team.