THE anti-smuggling unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone D based in Bauchi, has impounded contraband goods worth N156. 61 million from January to November, 2018, its Area Controller,Peters Olugboyega, has said.
FOU Zone D comprises Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa States.
Olugboyega, in a statement made available to Vanguard Maritime Report, said the figure has an increase of N55 million, compared to the entire seizures made in 2017.
He said that from January to December 2018, the unit made seizures ranging from smuggled rice, soap, second-hand clothes, spaghetti and hard drugs.
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ýThe controller said that a recent seizure of a Mercedes Benz truck with Reg. No. ABJ 250 XA was made on Nov. 21 by officers of the Unit based on information.
“Upon physical examination, it was discovered to contain 179 bags of 50kg foreign rice with total Duty Paid Value, DPV of N6. 62 million, classified under Chapter 1006 of Common External Tariff, CET, concealed in grain’s jumbo sacks,’’ he said.
Olugboyega said on December 3, the unit also made another seizure of one used Citroen (J5) bus with registration number KMC 855 XB. He added that the Citroen (J5) bus was conveying 100 bags of foreign rice classified under 1006 of CET with the total DPV of N2, 520, 000
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“Again the unit on November 30, made another seizure of 130 bags of foreign rice classified under 1006 of CET that were re-bagged in Nigerian Lake Rice sacks with total DPV of N1, 872, 000.
ý“Also, on Nov. 24, the Unit made a seizure of 100 cartons of Eva soap classified under 3401 of CET with DPV of N1, 800, 000.
“The total DPV for the three seizures is N12, 819, 600, ” he said.
