Customs Intercept 5 Truck Loads Of Rice, Other Goods With N118.1M Duty Paid Value

The Officer in Charge of CGC Strike Force, Zone ‘A’, Deputy Comptroller (DC) Yahaya Biu, made the disclosure to newsmen in a statement made available on Sunday in Lagos.

The 47-day period spans from May 14, when Biu took over leadership of the team, to June 30.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Biu as saying that the seized goods were intercepted in various locations in the zone.

Biu said that the unit impounded five truck loads of contraband 50kg parboiled foreign rice along Alibaba Street at Iyana-sashi waterside in Agbara-Badagry axis on June 30.

“The seizure operations, led by Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Esiet, was made possible by the vibrant information network of the unit.

“Aside from one of the trucks with registration number AGL665XL which is a standard lorry size that was used in conveying the contraband rice products, other trucks with registration numbers AAA534DU, GGE427XU, LXR27XV were completely reconstructed and reinforced to withstand pressure as well as have the capacity to convey large quantities of smuggled goods and easily access the marshy terrain,”

The statement said.

Giving the performance report of the unit in the period under review, he put the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of seized items at N118,154,708.00.

In a breakdown, he said that they include a total of 6,580 50kg rice seizure with N87,202,108.00 DPV and 1,292 jerry cans of 25-litre vegetable oil with DPV of N12,209,400.00.

“Other seizures within the period under review are: 1, 607 cartons of foreign poultry products with DPV of N15,427,200; 17 bales of second hand clothing with DPV of N1,224,000.00; and two vehicles which include one Peugeot and a fiat bus with DPV of N2,092,000.00,”

Biu said.

He warned smugglers as well as economic saboteurs who were still operating within the zone to have a rethink, and comply with government economic policies.

Biu said that his officers and men were battle ready to take unrepentant economic saboteurs within the zone out of business.