The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area 1 Command, says it has impounded four consignments with duty paid value of N112.68 million illegally imported vegetable oil into the country.
The service said the contraband goods consisted of four containers with 2,965 gallons of vegetable oil.
The NCS Comptroller, Ibrahim Muhammad, disclosed this at the command’s port terminal in Port Harcourt.
“Upon credible intelligence, some contraband are uncovered and investigation showed that the containers were largely vegetable oil concealed in ceramic tiles and some home appliances.
“In view of this, the four containers are thereby seized, investigation is ongoing. We know the agents are licensed and customs have control over their operations.
“A case of seizure has been appropriately reported while we await further report as soon as investigation is concluded,” he said.
The Comptroller also said that 481 bales of second-hand clothes, 700 packages of machetes and 107 packages of shovels were also among the list of seized items..
He explained that while some of the items such as vegetable oil and second-hand clothes were contraband, shovels and machetes were detained pending provision of an End-user-certificate from the Office of the Security Adviser.
The comptroller also said the command generated a total sum of N92.32 billion in 2022, a 12 percent higher than the N81.31 billion revenue generated in 2021.
Muhammad attributed the increase in revenue to monies generated from Port Harcourt International Airport Port Harcourt International Airport and Excise duties from International Brewery and Nigeria Bottling Company.
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