ABUJA: The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has impounded 31 containers of rice that was illegally imported into the country.
The items, which the market value was yet to be determined, were seized Friday, at the Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), Lagos.
Addressing reporters at the venue of the seizure in Lagos Friday, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Col Hameed Ali who was represented by a Deputy Comptroller-General ( DCG) Dan Ugo said the items were shipped into the from China.
The importer, he said, wanted to shortchange the government by declaring the items as yeast in his bill of laden. Yeast importation, Ali said, attracts five per cent duty, while rice attracts 110 per cent duty and 60 per cent levy.
For falsifying his document and wanted to cheat the government, the Comptroller-General has therefore, declared that over 40, 000 bags of rice inside the containers as outright seizure without any option of payment for the importer.
The measure, he said, was applied to serve as deterrent to other scrupulous importers operating at the nation’s sea ports and border stations.
