On Tuesday, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone A, Lagos, announced that 13 trucks carrying 7,381 bags of 50 kg foreign parboiled rice and 17 units of stolen used cars, or “Tokunbo,” worth N1.24 billion, were intercepted. The vehicles were smuggled into the country from the neighboring Benin Republic.
According to LEADERSHIP, the Customs Unit has linked the rise in smuggling to the quickly approaching holiday season.
Nevertheless, Hussein Ejibunu, the acting Customs Area Controller, FOU, Zone A, stated at a press conference in Lagos that 14,825 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were also stopped as they were about to be smuggled from Nigeria into the neighboring Benin Republic.
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The head of customs also disclosed that nine people had been detained in relation to the smuggling of the contraband that had been seized in October 2023.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, for October has made some recent seizures, which indicates that our reassessed tactics are working. We will continue to work toward consistently implementing these strategies. Prior to listing the seizures, which have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.242 billion. In the best interests of our nation, I would like to declare that this Unit of the Service under my command will make the remainder of 2023 and beyond difficult for smugglers.
We’re prepared to catch them off guard and put an end to their deceitful, under-, and illegal route-taking antics. Furthermore, we are committed to enforcing the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 in its entirety, along with all of its penalties, and making sure that those who violate the law suffer the full consequences of their actions.