Almost N6 billion worth of contraband intercepted by Customs in 2017

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), intercepted contraband goods with Duty Paid Valued (DPV) of N5.96 billion between January and December 2017.

The Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Mr Jerry Attah, made this known on Monday in a statement in Lagos.

Attah said that the figure was arrived at from intercepted goods and interventions which led to duty payments and Demand Notices on general goods that tried to beat the system from seaports, airports and border stations through wrong classifications.

“The transfer of value and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria made a cumulative total of N5.96 billion in one year.

“In 2017, a total of 179 suspects were arrested in connection with these 1,046 different seizures, comprising foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, arms, fake pharmaceutical/medicaments and various general merchandise,” Attah said.

The Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Garba, said 2017 recorded the highest seizures and revenue so far in the history of the command in spite of the challenges faced.

Garba attributed the feat to the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, and the entire management of the Service for their efforts in recognising hard work.

According to him, without the management’s motivation and necessary logistic support, the Service would not have achieved the feat within the period.