ABUJA: Two commands of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, on seizure rampage raked in about N136.6 billion revenue, with the large haul coming from the Apapa Command which intercepted among other items unprocessed wood export. The command raised over N136billion between January and May this year, while Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone “A”, the anti-smuggling arm of the NCS, raised N607.7 million. For Apapa command the revenue represents a massive increase of 38.8 percent over N98billion collected within the same period of 2016. Disclosing this in Lagos, the Customs Area Comptroller, Apapa, Mr. Mohammed Jubrin said the command’s enforcement unit effected a total of 24 seizures including containers of different items, such as frozen fish, medicaments, pharmaceuticals which were either falsely declared or under-declared resulting to under payment of customs duties. He stated: “We have also intercepted and detained some export containers of scrap metal, wet blue leather and unprocessed wood which fall under export prohibition. Investigations are ongoing and sanctions will be applied in line with extant laws.”
Besides, the revenue generated from import duties, over N1.8billion was also realized from identified infractions within the period under review. In a similar development the FOU, yesterday, said that it has impounded assorted cargo with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N334 million that was smuggled into the country. The Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba, at a press briefing in Lagos, said that the intercepted goods includes 6,356 bags of 50 kilograms of rice, 2,495 cartons of poultry products, 13 vehicles and 384 parcels of 232kilograms of Indian Hemp, among other items.
