Customs Strike Force records seizures worth N9bn
.7 suspects in Customs net
By Silas Onuoha
DC Kirawa and his team addressing news men in Lagos:
The dare-devil smugglers operating within the territory of Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos, must be counting their losses by now, as the Customs Strike Force, Zone ‘A’ intercepted a large number of prohibited items estimated at a Duty Paid Value CDPV) of N9billion within one month.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the National Coordinator of Customs Strike Force, DC Abdullahi Kirawa, took Journalists round the Customs workshop and warehouse to show seizures of 8,090 bags of rice with DPV of N113.2million, 40ft container loaded with explosives (fireworks and crackers), falsely declared as machines by the importers, 195 sacks of Pangolin scales worth N8.3billion, 40ft container loaded with 1,200 cartons of sex enhancing drugs worth N360million, 40ft container with 459 bales of secondhand clothing with DPV of N22.9million, used tyres and vegetable oil, making a total DPV of N9billion.
That was not all. The operatives of Zone ‘A’ Strike Force team arrested seven suspects in connection with the seized items, displayed everywhere at their officer.
Speaking further, DC Kirawa, along with top officers of the team, strongly condemned the nefarious activities of smugglers in the country. He warned smugglers to desist from sabotaging the economy, stressing that Customs officers will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute illicit traders to serve as deterrent to others. “We are well trained and adequately equipped to curb the menace of smugglers”, he said.
Other mind blowing seizures displayed included a truck meant for carrying cement to construction site loaded with about 550 bags of smuggled rice, 40ft truck with 600 bags of rice, concealed with empty crates of beer. “You can see the method of concealment by smugglers. This is a delivery truck belonging to a company but used in smuggling rice. Our men were able to track it because they are well trained for the job”, Kirawa pointed out.
The company’s truck loaded with 600 bags of rice and concealed with empty crates of beer:
His assertion, “Nigerians should be patriotic and engage in legitimate business because Customs will leave no stone unturned in seizing contraband and arresting economic saboteurs working against government’s fiscal policy”.
N8.3 billion Pangolin scales seized by the team:
