Anti-Smuggling: FOU Zone “A” Ikeja Recovers Over N700m-by Amaka Ilabor
Comptroller FOU Zone A, Mohammed Uba Garba showing some of the seized items
The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone “A” of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intensified is Anti-Smuggling Operations to forestall year end activities of diehard smugglers who continue to undermine economic wellbeing of the country in pursuit of their personal gains.
Customs Area Controller of the Command, CAC, Comptroller Mohhammed Uba Garba, disclosed that within the month of August alone, officers and men of the Command working with improved operational modalities and fortified with very credible information, successful trailed and recovered twenty seven assorted vehicles which were being smuggled into the country through unapproved routes.
The combined Duty Paid Value, DPV of the vehicles consisting of Prado jeep, Toyota Highlander, Hilux, Mercedes and others, the CAC said was N228, 215, 429.1 (two hundred and twenty eight million, two hundred and fifteen thousand, four hundred and twenty nine naira only.
Similarly, the Command also intercepted other smuggled items such as rice, frozen poultry, used tyres, Indian Hemp among others with a Duty Paid Value, DPV of N303, 260, 671.85.
Controller Garba aslo disclosed that through interventions by the Unit in Sea Port, Air-Port and Border posts operations, the FOU team recovered N252, 173, 201.25 from duty payment and demand notices from Agents who tried to evade complete payments of duty from various locations within its areas of operations.
The CAC while assuring all genuine traders not to worry, told all dubious, cheating traders to be warned and desist from illegalities as the Unit is fully prepared to crippled and render them impotent.
The Indian Hemp and other food items/medicaments seized have been handed over to Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, respectively, for further investigations.
Controller Mohhammed Garba thanked the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, (rtd) for equipping his Units with the necessary tools and equipment which have enabled them work much more efficiently.
