Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’, Owerri, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Victor Dimka has sounded a note of warning to smugglers who are still engaging in the unlawful act, stating that they would soon be in for it.
Speaking in Owerri last weekend, Dimka said with the provision of adequate logistics and incentives by the customs management, his officers are now well equipped to deal with smugglers for maximum performance.
“Smugglers that have not been caught and are still hoping to smuggle will soon be in for it. We adhere to the tenets and ethics of our jobs and this makes life harder for smugglers.
“You can only continue smuggling when you think you can never be caught. I have never seen any smuggler that can never be caught except there is no willpower to catch the smuggler,” he said.
He lamented the fact that despite the public campaign against the dangers of smuggling, people still engage in it because of the quest to make quick money.
“Most of the smuggling acts are borne out of the quest to get rich quick, some try to evade duty payment to make more gains even while they know it’s unlawful. Sometimes, we wonder what kind of propaganda, media outreach we need to educate these people on the need to shun smuggling,”
“If you are greedy, no matter the education and enlightenment, you will still smuggle. Even if government brings the duty for cars down to 1 percent, people will still smuggle if they are greedy. They are deviants and there is nothing you can do to change that. They only begin to regret when they are not lucky and get arrested,” he said.
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