Illegally imported goods valued at N85.68m have been impounded by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The goods were intercepted and confiscated by customs officers attached to the unit on the Warri/Port-Harcourt Road, Enugu/Port-Harcourt and Onitsha-Asaba Expressway.
The suspects were arrested in barely 24 hours after the unit had taken delivery of new patrol hilux vehicles from its headquarters in Abuja.
The Area Controller of FOU Zone ‘C’ Owerri, Victor David Dimka, while briefing newsmen at the Abia/Imo Command premises yesterday in Owerri, disclosed the breakdown of the seizures as follows; 1,233 pieces of used tyres were craftily concealed with 95 bags of saw dust in a Mack trailer truck with Registration No. LXY 630 XC.
Another truck (Man Diesel) with Registration No: XC 425 DUD carrying 40 rolls of embossed flock fabrics; 46 rolls of cotton textile materials, 9 jumbo rolls of hijab materials, 52 rolls of upholstery fabric (leatherine), 17 jumbo bales of assorted textile materials, 52 bales of used bed sheets and cotton materials, 22 bundles of printed wax and 10 rolls of polyester linen was intercepted.
Another truck (Mack trailer) with registration no: KRD 557 XD was also impounded for carrying two hundred and sixty-five (265) bales of second hand clothing.
The FOU Zone ‘C’ Area Controller said that 66 rolls of upholstery fabrics , one used Toyota Sienna, one accidented Toyota space bus, 80 cartons of foil, 50 bales of second hand also fell into the hands of his men even as one Golf station wagon was equally impounded.
Of the seizures made, Dimka said that four suspects arrested in connections with the seizures are now helping his men with their investigation as a prelude to their arraignment. He vowed that his men would stop at nothing to get at those behind the shady deals and subject them to the full weight of the law to serve as a deterrent to other smugglers and those with the intent to indulge in the act of smuggling.
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