ABUJA: The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has made more seizures in Zone C, which has its headquarters in the Imo State capital, Owerri, Imo State.
The seizures comprise 1,500 cartons of frozen chickens, turkeys and the vehicles conveying them at the time of the arrest along the Warri-Asaba Road.
The items have a duty paid value (DPV) of N16.2 million. Those arrested in connection with the items, according to the Command, would soon be charged to court to determine their culpability or innocence in the act.
The development is coming about six days the NCS, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri took delivery of 20 brand new patrol vehicles supplied by the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Alhaji Inde Dikko Abdullahi. These were disclosed by the Customs Area Controller (CAC), FOU, Zone C Owerri, Mr. Victor David Dimka in a statement issued by unit.
He enjoined those still involved in the nefarious act of smuggling contraband goods into the country to desist from it or face the wrath of the law.
According to him, 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,” he warned.
He also displayed other items seized by the Command, including 454 bales of second hand clothes with a DPV of N43.5million; and vehicles confiscated along the Eleme-Owerri axis and 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.
Dimka said the NCS was now battle-ready to penetrate all nooks and crannies of the country including the most difficult terrains to dislodge smugglers from their hideouts, disclosing that 20 suspects who were nabbed last month would soon be charged to court after necessary investigations.
“While a total of 40 seizures were made last month, (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 yester year is not the Nigeria Customs of today and because we have all it takes to deal with smugglers. Enough is enough”, he warned.
