Posted by Oluyinka Akintunde, Abuja on
The Nigeria Customs Service, recorded seizures totalling 745 smuggled goods, including 422 used vehicles, between January and April, 2005.
The Nigeria Customs Service, recorded seizures totalling 745 smuggled goods, including 422 used vehicles, between January and April, 2005.
During the four-month period, the government agency also impounded 323 other goods, which comprised packages of textiles such as guinea brocade and lace, juices, used refrigerators, tyres, drugs, and scrap metals among others.
Details of the seizures were contained in a report by the Customs Enforcement and Drugs unit obtained by our correspondent on Monday.
The smuggled goods according to the report, were valued at N1.293billion.
It also indicated that duty levy worth N800.841million was collected on the illegal imports, thereby bringing the total duty value of the seizures paid into the Federation Account to N2.094billion.
The report, which noted that 46 persons were arrested by the agency in connection with the smuggled goods, also disclosed that 16 guns and 1,666 rounds of ammunition were impounded between January 2004 and April 2005.
The details of the anti-smuggling report showed that the largest seizures were recorded in March 2005, where 251 illegal imports, including 127 vehicles, all valued at N542.791million were seized.
The agency collected N288.297million as duty levy on the seized goods in March while it paid N831.088million being Duty Paid Value of the seizures into the Federation Account.
Customs also confiscated 241 contraband, including 111 used vehicles, valued at N247.526million in April 2005. It collected duty levy of N220.850million on the seizures while it paid N468.376million as DPV of the seizures into the Federation Account.
The report also showed that illegal imports valued at N259.058million and N244.032million, were seized in January and February 2005, respectively, from where the agency paid N415.502 million and N379.282million as DPV of seizures in the two months.
Out of the total seizures of 116 and 137 in January and February, only 61 and 123 were seized vehicles.
The report confirmed that eight, five, 10 and 23 persons were arrested in January, February, March and April in that order, in connection with the illegal imports.
The Punch, Tuesday, June 21, 2005