The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘C’ Owerri of the Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) has arrested six (6) suspects for alleged importation of
some contraband goods into the country. This is even as thirteen (13)
cases arising from illegal importation of some items are now pending in
various high courts located in Calabar, Owerri, Benin and Enugu.
The Customs Area Controller of the FOU Zone ‘C’, DC Victor David Dimka
disclosed this while briefing newsmen on current seizures made in the
month May this year which according to him totalled thirty-four (34) with
Duty Paid Value (DPV) of eighty-eight million, nine hundred and
thirty-two thousand, four hundred and eighty-five naira (#88,932,485.00).
Out of the total number of seizures made, Dimka said that seventeen (17)
were vehicles with a DPV of twenty-four million, three hundred and ninety
thousand naira (#24,390,000.00); which were confiscated mainly on the
Benin axis, in Edo State, Agbor and Asaba bridgehead in Delta State. He
advised any interested buyer of vehicle to endeavour to contact the
authorities of the closest Customs formation for verification and
clearance of the vehicles in question before making their payment, to
avoid possible embarrassment and prosecution if proved otherwise that
Customs duty was not paid on such vehicle.
The Area Controller disclosed that the other items impounded on the Benin,
Calabar, Owerri, Port-Harcourt/Eleme axis as well as Agbor expressway in
Delta state include; a container load of two hundred and ninety-four
(294) bales of textile materials with DPV of eighteen million, eight
hundred and seventy-four thousand, eight hundred naira (#18,874,800.00)
and three (3) trailer loaded with 50Kg imported rice comprising one
thousand, three hundred and fifty-seven (1, 357) bags with a DPV of
thirty-two million, four hundred and fifteen thousand naira
(#32,415,000.00) and forty-eight (48) pieces of imported furniture valued
at five million, one hundred and thirty-five thousand, two hundred and
fifty naira (#5,135,250.00).
Dimka decried the ceaseless spate of smuggling in the country despite
spirited and frantic efforts by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to
reduce to the barest minimum the nefarious business and warned those still
engrossed in the act to desist forthwith or be prepared to face the full
consequences of their unpatriotic activities if arrested.
He assured that officers and men of the service with the continued support
and motivation of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi
Inde Dikko CFR are now fully equipped, better informed and trained to meet
challenges thrown up by the excesses of the smugglers, adding that the NCS
would continue to fashion out result oriented strategies and systems that
would make smuggling a thing of the past in the country.
DC Dimka who bemoaned the harm being inflicted on the nation’s economy by
smugglers and their sponsors pleaded with members of the public to always
assist the NCS with useful, reliable and dependable information bordering
on all forms of smuggling so as to ease the operations of the unit.