By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi-The Nigeria Customs Service has impounded five vehicles with contraband items valued at of N50, 237, 400.

The Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone “D” comprising of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa State, Peters Olugboyega, disclosed this at a Media briefing at the Zonal headquarters in Bauchi.

He said that the seizures were based on credible intelligence gathering by officers of the Service on patrol between August 31st and September 3rd.

Okugboyega said that on 2nd of September, 2018, one DAF truck with Reg. No. XG 433 RSH was impounded along Potiskum – Gombe Road at about 7:15am with 1, 963 cartons of Foreign Spaghetti Noodles and 780 Jerricans of Vegetable Oil, adding that the smuggled items were in contravention of the Import Prohibition Order contrary to the provision of Sec 4 of the Customs and Excise Management Act CAP. 45 of the Constitution 2004 as amended.

He said that the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) on vehicle and goods is N32, 282, 000 and that another Mercedes-Benz 911 truck with Reg. No. XG 433 RSH was impounded on the 1st of September, 2018 at about 7.49pm along Bauchi-Jos road with 300 bags of Foreign Rice concealed in Sacks.

“The goods were banned items which ought not to have been imported into the country since the Federal government has placed a ban on them. The DPV on vehicle and goods is N9, 720, 000”

“Also, three J5 Buses with Reg. No. NSR 374 TRN, TRN 162 AU and JJN 108 XP carrying 90 bales of second-hand clothing, 30 bales in each bus were seized along Bauchi-Kano road at about 4.30am on 3rd September,2018.The DPV on the vehicle and goods is N8, 235, 000” he said.

The Comptroller while taking Journalists round the seized items and vehicles said that there was no reason why the contraband clothes should be brought into the country because of the health implications, warning smugglers to desist from their acts or they will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“We have 30 different strategies, this is just one of them. We will always go ahead of them.No matter their antics, we will crush them. If they are unrepentant, we are out for them. Any smuggler arrested will be prosecuted,” Olugboyega stated