The Federal Operation Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has collected N43,530,867.25 through issued uncompromising demand notices (DN) on detected and identified shortfalls in duty payments on cargoes already cleared in the South West in November and early December.
Disclosing this during a recent press briefing held in Lagos, acting Controller of the FOU, Zone A, Hussein Ejibunu explained that without exception to the month of November, the Unit has yielded seizures worth a total duty paid value (DPV) of N1,021,263,350.
According to Controller Ejibunu, “Prominent among the seized items are; 8,999 bags of foreign parboiled rice by 50kg (approximately 15 trailer loads); 85,300 litres of PMS; 812 pieces of used tyres; 1 by 40 FT Container STC Charcoal; 2 by 20ft Container containing 4,004 cartons of Tomato Paste; five units of used vehicles (Tokunbo); 40 cartons of 4 &5 litres of vegetable oil; 128 parcels of Indian Hemp; 13 cartons of knock out; 243 bales of used clothing; 2,976 cartons of new shoes and 37 cartons of used poultry
“Fourteen suspects were arrested for different offences during the period under review. Thirteen were released on administrative bail, while one is in custody.
“We were able to achieve the collection of N43,530,867.25 through issued uncompromising demand notices (DN) to collect the detected and identified shortfalls in duty payments.
“It is worthy of emphasis that the collected revenue would have been lost through different modes of duty evasion such as undervaluation, under declaration, application of wrong Harmonised System (HS) codes and false declarations, but for our meticulous oversight and prevention as a layer of checks.
“As the year draws to a close, let me reiterate our warning to smugglers, intending smugglers and their collaborators; that FOU Zone A, would watch, remain active and vigilant at all times. We shall vigorously go after them wherever they travel through, or store smuggled items, even if the smuggled goods are stored in their bedrooms, we shall lawfully swoop on them. It is an ongoing battle that we shall not relent on.
“Without mincing words, i dare say that smugglers would be confronted with the worst Christmas in their life of crime, this December. Not only are we going to seize their wares, but we are also determined to arrest them for prosecution.”
