The Federal Operations Unit Zone (FOU) A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it impounded various contraband goods worth over N1.2bn from January to September 2016.
This is in addition to N403 million collected from intervention fund within the review period.
Controller of the Unit, Dahiru Mohammed said in a document made available to SHIPS & PORTS DAILY that the unit also arrested 163 suspects in the period under review.
He gave the breakdown of the seized items to include 29,750 bags of 50kg each of rice and 50 bags of 25kg each with a Duty Paid Value of N193million, 41,138 cartons of frozen poultry products worth N222million and 56 units of 12 cut buses valued at N105million.
Other items seized are 382 Jerry cans, 286 cartons of vegetable oils and 1,250 empty Jerry cans worth N5million; ew and used textiles materials; new and used foot wears; mosquito insecticides; spaghetti; soap; used tyres; raw and unprocessed hides and skin with DPV of N621million.
A breakdown of the record of revenue figure generated from intervention between January and September include N33million in January, N52million in February while N62million was generated in March.
The unit collected N64million in April; N74million in May; N27million in June ; N32million was generated in July; N27million in August and N30million in September.
Dahiru said the unit has been able to suppress smuggling with the number of seizures recorded so far.
He said, “I believe we have been able to achieve greater percentage of suppressing smuggling and if somebody is to be objective and fair to the Service, you will give us a pass mark. What is in the FOU Zone ‘A’ warehouse and other warehouse is a good testimony that FOU is working.
“It is full to the brim with rice and we cannot show you poultry product because it is perishable. We cannot leave it longer than necessary and whatever we arrest every day we bury.
“It is the responsibility of Customs to fight smuggling but it is also the responsibility of every responsible citizen to help Customs achieve that aim.”
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