The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ Owerri of the Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) has recorded a total of three hundred and sixty-three (363)
seizures of illegally imported items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One
billion, eight hundred and five million, eight hundred and forty-three
thousand and sixty-four naira (N1,805,843,064.00) and under payment
recovered of seventy-one million, seven hundred and sixty-two thousand and
twenty-nine naira (#71,762,029.00), all totaling one billion, eight
hundred and seventy-seven million, six hundred and five thousand and
ninety –three naira (N1,877,605,093.00) for the year 2014.
According to the Area Controller of the Unit, Dimka Victor David, this is
against one hundred and ninety-nine (199) seizures recorded in the
preceding year 2013.
He said that a total of one hundred and four (104) arrests were made with
one hundred and thirty-four (134) cases pending in the court during the
year under review in contrast to that of thirty-one (31) arrests recorded
in the year 2013 with twenty (20) cases in court.
Giving details of the summary of seizures recorded, Dimka disclosed that
vehicles alone topped the list of the items totaling 237, of which 209
vehicles were with fake documents while 28 were abandoned. The highest
numbers of seizures were recorded in April, September and December
apparently due to increased desperation of the smugglers during the
months; just as the highest DPV were made in the months of April and
September precisely.
He acknowledged the continued invaluable support and encouragement of the
Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, CFR which he
said has spurred, motivated and encourage them in the discharge of their
anti-smuggling activities which has culminated into harvest of seizures
recorded in the year 2014.
He also assured that intensive and aggressive patrol operations will be
carried out to ensure absolute compliance to laws, in order to nip the
activities of smugglers in the bud, in this year 2015. He called on
Nigerians to always avail the Unit with relevant information that could
lead to tracking of smugglers while also promising that the identity of
such patriotic informants would be treated with utmost confidentiality. He
advised those still engaging in the acts of smuggling to have a rethink as
the service has no sympathy for such unpatriotic act and promised that
genuine importers or their agents will continue to enjoy the support and
benevolence of the NCS in line with their mandate to facilitate legitimate
trade.