Customs apprehend six suspects for Importing Contraband goods

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.