CUSTOMS UNCOVERS NEW TRICKS BY SMUGGLERS

Operatives from the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone 'C', of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) said it has uncovered new tricks used by smugglers to bring contrabands into the country.

The new ploy, according to them, is the use of dutiable items for concealment of contrabands, which are in the prohibited list of the Customs Service.

Records of recent seizures showed that dutiable items like, refrigerators, tyres, electronics and overaged cars, were used to conceal items like, textile materials, used clothes, vegetable oil and wine, worth over N400 millions.

Commenting on the contrabands impounded by the Edo State Command, Benin, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Nicholas Oshomah, disclosed that most of them were intercepted along Benin-Ore and Auchi-Ibillo axis of Ondo and Edo states.

He said: 'On assumption of duty as the Controller, I told all the smugglers in this area to relocate and if possible, look for legitimate businesses. I told them that we have spread our network and tentacles in the South-East and South-south, which are our areas of jurisdictions. You can see the result from the number of seizures recorded barely three months in the Command. We equally made similar seizures in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, recently.'

The Controller implored the operative not to relent in their fight against smuggling, as the present Customs management, under the leadership of Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, has provided logistics and other support for them to perform their duties effectively.

'Our Command, which had, hitherto, been left wide open and insecured, has been fully protected now, thereby, making lives of officers safe and seized goods protected. Let me also tell you that the management is aware that our warehouse is filled to the brim and we are ready to do something, by providing a new place,' he added.

The Customs boss urged the smugglers to stop taking risk, adding, 'we have been adequately motivated and we will leave no stone unturned, by justifying on our own part that we are good and obedient servants.