The Federal Operations Unit ( FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘C,’ with headquarters at Owerri, Imo State, said last Thursday that it impounded contraband goods worth over N700 million this January alone.
Making this disclosure while briefing journalists, the Controller of the FOU Zone ‘C’, Comptroller Mohammed Biu, said that the zone, which covers 11 states of the South-East and South-South, also recorded 56 seizures of various products worth more than N1billion between September and December, 2012.
Biu explained that in January alone, the unit recorded reasonable successes, including: a 40-foot container of printed wax textiles (Hollandis), with duty paid value of N322, 800, 000 impounded in Port-Harcourt – Owerri axis, while another 40-foot container of women/children used bags and elastic bands intercepted in Aba-Eleme axis, had duty paid value of N47, 220, 000.00.
Making this disclosure while briefing journalists, the Controller of the FOU Zone ‘C’, Comptroller Mohammed Biu, said that the zone, which covers 11 states of the South-East and South-South, also recorded 56 seizures of various products worth more than N1billion between September and December, 2012.
Biu explained that in January alone, the unit recorded reasonable successes, including: a 40-foot container of printed wax textiles (Hollandis), with duty paid value of N322, 800, 000 impounded in Port-Harcourt – Owerri axis, while another 40-foot container of women/children used bags and elastic bands intercepted in Aba-Eleme axis, had duty paid value of N47, 220, 000.00.
He said that other seven seizures of various contraband items, which include used tyres, printed wax made in Holland, used handbags, elastic bands, second-hand clothing, vegetable oil, assorted toilet soaps, and unregistered drugs, among others, amounting to N383, 932, 530, had also been impounded by the unit.
According to him, this year would be another busy year for all personnel of the unit to track down all smuggling activities within that area of jurisdiction.
“The unit will not fold its hands and allow these smugglers, who want to turn the country into a dumping ground for all kinds of fake and counterfeit goods,” he said.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.