Controller in charge of Western Marine Command, of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Boyiliya Binga has warned indigenes of riverine communities to desist from smuggling of banned items into the country or face the wrath of the law.
Comptroller Binga handed the warning during his familiarisation tours of border communities in Badagry and Yekeme.
The controller who used the occasion to sensitise indigenes of the communities on the negative impacts of smuggling on the nation’s economy urged them to be law abiding even as he solicits their support to assist the Service is fighting smuggling through information sharing and gathering.
Meanwhile, the command in the last one month, has intercepted smuggled items through the creeks which include cannabis, PMS and rice.
While speaking on seizures recorded since assuming office as the new helmsman, the Controller was quoted in a statement that massive wraps of cannabis and rice were seized along Badagry creeks.
He added that 800 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg were intercepted, 806 wraps of Indian hemp and 15,000 kegs of 30 litres PMS were auctioned to the general public and security agencies.
Binga said the seized items which were made at various points including Idiroko, Yekeme and Badagry have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N81, 080,000. He assured that more seizures would be recorded if the economic saboteurs continue in their illegal business.
According to him “Whatever sophisticated methods used by the smugglers, customs will track them down.
The Controller also embarked on a working visit to outstations under the command as well as sister agencies like Navy, Immigration service and Controllers of Ogun and Seme customs commands.
Binga also visited the two seagoing vessels at Marina in order to have firsthand information about the vessels.
