LAGOS: Nigerians still entrapped in the nefarious act of smuggling contraband goods into the country are now in for more difficult times as the Nigeria Customs Service in the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’, Owerri has restated its determination to apprehend them wherever they operate their illicit businesses.
The Customs Area Controller of FOU, Zone C Owerri, Dimka Victor David, gave the reassurance while briefing newsmen on the latest seizures recorded by his men barely six days after the Unit took delivery of 20 brand new patrol vehicles supplied by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, to smoothen its operations. The seizures, comprising 1,500 cartons of frozen chickens, turkeys and the vehicles conveying them, according to Dimka, were made on the Warri-Asaba axis.
The seized goods have a Duty Paid Value of N16.2 million, while the smugglers arrested would soon be charged to court. “The items, imported frozen chicken and turkey preserved with dangerous chemicals, are injurious and harmful for human consumption and quite detrimental to the nation’s economy and people should avoid it because it is cheap and contaminated and adversely affects the kidney if consumed,” Dimka said.
The Customs Area Controller, who also displayed other items seized by his unit, including 454 bales of second hand cloths with a DPV of N43.5 million and vehicles confiscated along the Eleme-Owerri axis within the week, wondered why some individuals had remained adamant and unrepentant in the evil act of smuggling despite the obvious implication and consequence of their action when arrested and the attendant economic loss and wastage of their products within a twinkle of an eye.
Armed with the necessary logistics and incentives for maximum performance, Dimka assured that the NCS is now battle-ready to penetrate all nooks and crannies of the country, including the most difficult terrains to dislodge smugglers from their hideouts. He disclosed that 20 suspects nabbed last month would soon be charged to court after necessary investigations.
He said: “While a total of 40 seizures were made last month, today (within the first week of a new month) we have 19 seizures and we will stop at nothing to see that smugglers are brought to their knees because the Customs of yesteryear is not the Nigeria Customs of today and because we have all it takes to deal with smugglers.
