The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Area Command, Lagos, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded a consignment of military hardware including bulletproof vests, imported into the country.
The consignment, said to have been falsely declared by the importer, include camouflage uniforms, bulletproof jackets, military helmets, military face caps, military vest of different camouflage colours, air gun imported with two different End User Certificates, 20 pieces of optical sight wrapped in military camouflage uniform bags, mainly for rifles and grenade launchers, handcuffs, police official cardigans and drones.
Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Jayne Shoboiki, also disclosed that the command intercepted 108 cartons of expired (2009) beef imported into the country, pangolin scales and pharmaceutical products known as tramadol tablets with no registration number from the National Agency for Food Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to be exported out of the country.
Shoboiki added that the military hardware imported into the country were intercepted at NAHCO shed of the airport.
She said, “Economic saboteurs should desist from illicit trade and allow sanity in our economy, as we must continue to carry out our statutory mandate of enforcing government trade policies.
“The clearing agents should enlighten importers to desist from bringing into the country items that are absolutely prohibited. Military hardware are not to be imported by individuals, but must come into the country with an End User Certificate.”
Shoboiki expressed displeasure at the seized expired beef imported into the country, saying such item poses serious health hazards to Nigerians.
She said, “We have enough fresh beef in this country; I see no reason for importing not just beef, but the expired one. The item, which is under import prohibition list, schedule 3, item 2 of the Common External Tariff (CET), was abandoned. Effort made to arrest the consignee proved abortive, as the address mentioned does not exist.”
The customs boss noted that the command collected ₦11.6 billion from January to March 2018. The amount represents 74.34 percent of the envisaged revenue target in the first quarter.
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