Nigeria Customs Service Ogun 1 Area Command says its operatives intercepted 6,924 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, which is equivalent to 11
trailer loads between April and May 2023 among other seizures.
The Controller of the command, Bamidele Makinde revealed this during a press briefing on Tuesday at the NCS office in Abeokuta.
He further said that the command’s vigilant officers recorded other spectacular seizures as they intercepted and seized three foreign used(tokunbo) luxury buses which were being smuggled into the country through Ohumbe border on 15th of May, 2023.
In the same vein, Makinde added that two other Toyota Hiace buses 2022 model, with chassis number JTHN9CPOP6018610 and JTGHN9CP7P6019835, were
also intercepted and seized by the operatives on a bush path between Sawojo and Imasayi communities, on Monday, 29th
May, 2023.
He listed other seizures to include Premium Motor Spirit(petrol); used tyres; cannabis Sativa; and other prohibited items.
Makinde put the total Duty Payable Value (DPV) of the seizures as N335,855,989.00.
“The seizures were made with strategic deployment of intelligence across the State,” he stated.
Within the months of April and May, 2023, Makinde said the command generated the sum of N34,174,105.00 as revenue, compared to N10,615,618.00 generated in the corresponding period of last year, 2022, “there is a differential of N23,558,487.00 which is a significant increase of about 69%.”
He said the command hopes to achieve more in months ahead, all other things being equal.
Makinde disclosed that the command engaged compliant traders in trade facilitation and deliberated on how their business activities could be further enhanced through our trade facilitation mechanism.
“At the conclusion of consultations and deliberations, recommendations
and suggestions were made. All of them shall be implemented and, hopefully, this will lead to increase in export trade which would, in turn contribute to increasing our revenue and national GDP,” he said.
