Anti-Smuggling: Western Marine Customs makes over N61.6 million seizures on high sea
.Uniforms belonging to Military, Police, Immigration on list of seizures
By Silas Onuoha
Pictures taken at the press conference yesterday:
The Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted uniforms belonging to Military, Immigration, Police and other contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N61.6 million during its operations on the high sea.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller BN Binga disclosed this during a press conference, yesterday at the Command.
He revealed that the seizures were made few weeks while using the newly commissioned sea-going vessels by his operatives on waterways.
He thanked the Customs Management under the leadership of CGC Ali Hameed for providing the work tools, stressing that the gunboats will raise the tempo of their operations on high sea.
Other seizures showcased by the Command were bags of secondhand clothes, bags of shoes, bales of foreign fabrics, machetes, tramadol and 433 bags of rice concealed with 3,000 empty kegs.
The words of Comptroller Binga: “Even with the Operations Ex-Swift, otherwise called ‘Border Drill’, some citizens have remained adamant and refused to repent despite losing their contraband items running into Millions of Naira.
“Instead, of taking advantage of the Federal Government policy on Agriculture, especially in the area of rice production for the nation to be self-sufficient, they sabotage it
“We have resolved not to rest on our oars. We want to make it clear to these economic saboteurs and their accomplices that Customs cannot negotiate with smugglers. Items found to be contraband must be seized and offenders prosecuted.
“We are calling on the general public and the journalists in the maritime sector to assist the Command with useful information and give true reportage of the activities.”
