Notwithstanding campaigns and sensitizations efforts by the Nigeria Customs Service, NSC, on the need and benefits of honest declarations and integrity in importation business, some importers still believe that cutting corners and taking risks is the path that leads to wealth and fortune in their businesses.

Alert to such moves and antics, eagle eyed men of NCS at the Tin Can Command has made a massive seizure of 31 containers of rice imported from Thailand by a company, Destiny Limited which the company declared as yeast.  Unfortunately for Destiny Ltd but fortunately for Nigeria, vigilant Customs officers, insisting on 100% examination found his declaration to be false.

Deputy Comptroller General of Customs DCG,  Dan Ugo, who is in charge of enforcement told newsmen that the seizure is a fall out of a new resolve by the Nigeria Customs to block all revenue leakages and teach the bad guys in importation that cheating does not pay.

According to Dan Ugo “Beyond distorting statistics, evading revenue and causing delays in Customs operations at Tin Can, the attempt to deprive the Federal Government of such huge revenue at a time like this is totally unacceptable. The act by the importer right from point of origin by entering yeast instead of rice into the manifest is a criminal act that no responsible government will allow to go unpunished”

The DCG disclosed that investigations are on to track all those involved in the importation. He added that anybody found culpable in the process will be fished out and dealt with in accordance with legal provisions.

Asked if the importer could not be asked to pay the actual duty payable on the rice, the DCG Enforcement replied “To ask a man who manifested yeast when he knew he was importing rice to pay something and go will be a slap on the wrist. It will amount to setting a bad precedent for others and the deterrent we are looking for will not be there. We are talking of over 14, 000 bags of rice with a revenue of about N71m to government. I do not see why the importer should not be prosecuted”

DCG Administration and Discipline, Iya Abubakar, who was also part of the team sent from Abuja by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Ahmeed Ali (rtd), emphasized that the days of Debit Note, DN, are over. “Unlike before when we issued DN on lots of False Declarations, we realize that the issuance of DN is not helping anybody. It is not helping the economy, it not helping in trade facilitation,  it has not helped in the security of the nation, it has not helped in revenue generation…if you check our records you will see the number of DN issued over the years, maybe that is why the trend continues, this time around, it is outright prosecution”

While calling on importers to import rice through the Lagos sea ports, Assist Comptroller of Customs, ACG Eporwei Charles Edike, who is also the Zonal Co-Ordinator Zone “A” stressed the need for importers to be honest in their declarations to avoid adverse consequences which false/under declarations attracts.

While investigations into this particular importation and false declaration continues, what happens to the 14, 000 bags of rice is a question that remained unanswered.