Mind boggling:
As Customs FOU Zone ‘A’ intercepts contraband in gas cylinders
.Records over N40.1million seizures
By Silas Onuohu
The CAC displaying seized items:
Seized items loaded in a truck::
The CAC showing the seized items:
It was indeed mind boggling, as the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service, intercepted rice, vegetable Oil and poultry products conveyed in 12 different vehicles, while some items were concealed in gas cylinders.
The Unit also intercepted 1,393 bags of foreign rice; 187 jerrycans/66 drums of vegetable oil; 625 Cartons of poultry products and 50 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil from unapproved routes within Ogun State from 5th -17th February 2020, based on surveillance, as well as routine patrol.
The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Unit, Jerry Attah made this known to reporters in Lagos.
He said, “The unrelenting effort of the Customs Area Controller, CAC of the Unit, Usman Yahaya is yielding more results in anti-smuggling drive.
“This seizure is coming barely two weeks after the Comptroller-General of Customs working visit to Lagos, where he showcased various seizures made by FOU ‘A’ worth over N10 billion.
The cumulative Duty Paid Value, DPV, of the seized items is N40.1million”.
He explained, “The desperate act by these dare-devil smugglers concealing edible items in a gas cylinder further justifies the hard chase by operatives of Customs. The DPV break down of the seized items: Rice N27,860,000.00, Vegetable Oil N6,284,250.00 and frozen Poultry N6,000,000.00”.
In the same vein, DC Usman Yahaya warned, “unless economic saboteurs repent from their unscrupulous activities, they will continue to count their losses”.
He also advised legitimate traders to be compliant in their declarations, as the Unit is ever ready to facilitate trade in line with world best practice.
While thanking the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, Hameed Ali and his entire Management Team for providing necessary logistics and motivation that led to this feat, Usman Yahaya, who is in Acting capacity, called on well-meaning Nigerians to support the Service’s fight against smuggling, by providing intelligence that could assist the Unit achieve more success.
Seized items in gas cylinders:
