Seme Customs intercepts 27 trailers of foreign rice
.Seizes exotic cars, truck with rice conceals in engine part
.Generates N2.8bn revenue
By Silas Onouha
Some of the seized items:
Seme Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), was the beehive of activities yesterday, as the Command unveiled massive seizures of 27 trailers of foreign rice, 21 vehicles, petroleum products, Tramadol, textile materials, vegetable oil, used tyres and many other prohibited items seized in only two months.
The Command also generated N2.8bn revenue for the Federal Government in the same period under review.
Most remarkable among the seizures was a truck loaded with large quantity of foreign rice inside the engine part by smugglers, in attempt to escape security checks at the border, but still intercepted by Customs operatives at Seme.
Briefing newsmen at ECOWAS Joint Border Post at Seme, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba gave vivid explanation on activities within the period under review and logistics supported provided by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Hameed Ali, which led to the feats recorded by the Command within a very short period.
Some of the seized vehicles:
His words, “Beyond the statistics of revenue and seizures made within this period, it is obvious that these seizures represent protection of the economy and security of our people. Let me say clearly here that it is simply not enough to inform you about the revenue, seizures and the Duty Paid Value, what is paramount is to boost economic growth and create jobs for our youths in the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are not out to frustrate members of the public or indeed the business community. Our major interest is to facilitate legitimate trade. All those who are compliant traders have nothing to fear. We remain determined to detect, arrest and prosecute those who do not comply with the extant laws regarding importation and exportation through the land borders.
“The Items seized include 21 vehicles worth N134,410,536; 16,729 bags of rice, equivalent to over 27 trailers, with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N302,477,049; 115 cartons of poultry products with DPV of N728,654; 111 used tyres worth N859,345, petroleum products worth N300,572; Tramadol worth N11,090,832; sugar worth N7,394,521; textiles materials worth N774,270 and coconut worth N2,313,360, among other items.”
The CAC and top officers of Seme Command during the press conference at the border:
