By Godfrey Bivbere

THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Task Force on 100 per cent physical examination of cargoes has intercepted 12 containers of  furniture with a Duty Paid Value of N300million and arrested two Chinese in connection with the illegal import.

Furniture, textiles, energy drink, and a few others  are  among items currently on the prohibition list

Speaking to news men over the week end at the Lily-pond Container Terminal, the leader of the Task Force Comptroller Charles Edike said that the items were brought in  as furniture meant for the Lekki Free Trade Zone..

Edike disclosed that with this inception,  the Task Force has intercepted a total of 60 containers since inception adding that  8 suspected persons and two Customs Officers have  been arrested for aiding the clearance of the illegal imports.

He explained that the consignments came 2009 and 2010 and were taken to the Free Trade Zone without examination.
He said that the quantity of the furniture did not indicate that they were actually meant for the zone as the goods were brought in commercial quantity.
“These consignments came in October 2009 and the other set came January 2010 and they left the ports in the name of Free trade zone so they were documented for the zone but we now found out that the Free Trade Zone in the actual sense is not a Free Trade Zone yet because it is borderless, it is not demarcated.
“A free trade zone for Customs must be demarcated, properly indicated as a free trade zone,  protected but none of these were present at the place they claim to be a free trade zone.
“The furniture, you will agree with me is not for use of any company, it is certainly for trades, they were smuggled in, in the name of free trade zone” He stated
He stated that most of the consignment so far intercepted are either falsely declared, concealed or are outrightly prohibited items.
His words “  We were in Port Harcourt and we seized 18 containers and they are basically outright prohibition, false declaration and also concealment these are basically offenses which are contrary to section 46 ”.
He further disclosed that Lagos has recorded the highest numbers of smuggling’ activities adding that most of the revenue so far collected by the Task Force came in from within the Lagos area.

Meanwhile, the Zonal Coordinator of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority in Lagos Mr Richard Obianu condemned the action of members of the Task Force saying that “they are over reacting because we have not done any thing that is illegal”.
He stated that, anything excerpt for arms and other dangerous goods can come into the zone even if such items are banned by government.