The Controller, Customs Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone B, Kaduna, Comptroller Mustafa Sarkin Kebbi, has disclosed that politicians and traditional rulers pressure him and his men to release seized contrabands.
”The moment an arrest has been made, you start receiving calls here and there; but by the grace of God, I will resist it,” he said while speaking with newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday.
Kebbi also said the unit recorded massive seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about N450.8 million in the first quarter of 2019 even as it confiscated 4,151 bags of smuggled 50kg foreign perboiled rice and 333 used tyres.
“We were also able to confiscate smuggled spaghetti of about 349 cartons and 11 bags of imported sugar.
“Also, 545 cans of 25kg of smuggled vegetable oil and 80 bales of second-hand clothes were seized within the first quarter.
“We also seized about 130 cartons of medicament without NAFDAC registration numbers.
“We have already done the normal documentation and handed over to NAFDAC as the agency saddled with the responsibility,’’ Kebbi said.
He further said the unit seized 24 vehicles on the Kaduna-Zaria-Abuja axis of the zone during the review period.
“We have two brand new Prado Jeep 2019 model and various brands of vehicles that amounted to 24 with duty paid value of 284 million for tokunbo vehicles,” he said.
Kebbi said eight suspects were currently undergoing investigation and they would be prosecuted for various offences relating to smuggling.