Prohibited items worth over N54 million naira and with a Duty Paid Value of N1,074,099,739.00 has been recovered by the anti-smuggling division of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The impoundment of 29 items which include 61,333 cartons of imported foreign poultry products, 2,522 bags of 50 kg foreign rice, 720 cartons of foreign vegetable oil, 1,618 cartons and 1,466 pieces of furniture, 269 pieces of unused tyres, 59 cartons and 1,964 pieces of spare parts, 39 pieces of used compressors, 29 bales of second-hand clothing as well as 480 pairs of used shoes and 9 vehicles of assorted types were all confiscated in various geopolitical zones of the country, notably the South- South and South-East geopolitical zones.

According to NTA news, Captain Muhammed Uba Garka, the Area controller in charge of the unit, revealed this during a news briefing as regards the impoundment of items at the buildings of the Imo/Aba and Benin Command Units at the Owerri and Edo warehouses of the Nigeria Customs Service respectively.

He further stated that 18 people involved in the illegal dealings were already apprehended and were currently undergoing interrogation for likely enactment of justice. He also said that this also meant that the seizures ensured the safeguarding and defense of the nation’s economy and her nationals.

“Let me state clearly that it is simply not enough to inform you about the seizures and its DPV, what is of paramount importance is that we are implementing government’s policies that would boost our economic growth and provide employment”, he stated

According to Mohammed, many of the bags of the seized 50kg foreign rice were cleverly re-bagged and re-labeled by the smugglers to beat security checkpoints on the roads and to give the false semblance of locally produced ones. Just as some items such as body sprays were criminally used to conceal other prohibited items”.

He however expressed regrets over the continuous occurrence of accidents on the highways due to the use of second hand and sub-standard tyres smuggled into the country, placing emphasis that the prohibition of bringing in rice and furniture into the country was to encourage the utilization and patronage of the locally produced ones in order to see an upheaval in the nation’s economy, stating that if rice importation was allowed to go on, it would have a ravaging effect on the nation’s economy.

The Customs director also pointed out that the unit was not out to impede the efforts of those in legitimate businesses but to fish out those involved in illegal and fraudulent activities and to bring them to justice as regards the importation of goods.

He also urged citizens to bring to the notice of the Nigeria Customs Service any suspicious dealings by contacting the Customs service or other sister agencies, pointing out that the success made over the confiscation of 29 items was made through information provided by concerned Nigerians.