Customs nabs 17 Indians for illegal export of metals

By Godwin Oritse
LAGOS — The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has arrested 17 Indians for allegedly attempting to illegally export four container loads of scrap metals through the Apapa Port in Lagos.

The latest arrests came barely two weeks after a Chinese, Ding Shaw and a Nigerian were arrested by operatives of the same command for allegedly attempting to export a container load of scrap metals through one of the seaports in Lagos.

Parading the Indians before newsmen in Lagos, weekend, Controller of the Federal Operations Unit, Mr. Victor Dimka, explained that the four containers were intercepted on their way to the port (names withheld) from an Indian company located on Lagos-Sagamu Road.

The four containers of scrap metals are valued at about N72 million.

The content of one of the containers, soaked in mud, was disguised as ordinary dirt inside the container, while two of the containers already loaded with scrap metals melted into solid aluminums.

The command also intercepted a container load of tick wood, which was also being smuggled out of the country as export.

According to Dimka, scrap metals and tick woods for exportation are on the Customs prohibition list, but the Indians have a company where they melt and export the metals. He explained that investigations were on-going and that the arrested suspects will be arraigned in court after at the conclusion of investigation