OGUN: The anti-smuggling drive of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja received a major boost following the interception of an articulated truck laden with 5,020 cartons of frozen chicken neatly concealed in bottles of Nestle water along the Sagamu-Ijebuode Expressway.
The controller FOU Zone A Comptroller Amade Abdul told journalists in Lagos that the contraband was intercepted by the Headquarters Special Assignment Team led by an assistant comptroller of Customs, Mr Shittu Abdulmaruf, comprising chief superintendent of Customs, Dahiru Shehu Usman and others while on information patrol, at about 9pm October 1, 2015.
He said the 18-tyre truck was immediately brought down to the Headquarters of the FOU in Ikeja, where 100 per cent examination was conducted, which revealed the 5,020 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products neatly concealed within 2,016 packages of nestle bottled water with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.17 million.
He promised that the Unit will continue to degrade the capacity of smugglers however sophisticated they may be.
“The operational dexterity of the Unit cannot be compromised, in consideration of the need to protect our country from being a dumping ground,” he said.
The Controller, who also revealed that a suspect was apprehended in connection with the seizure, stated that the suspect will be a clue towards unravelling the major kingpins behind this illegitimate transaction with a view to ensuring that they are prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.
The Controller added that the Seizure became particularly symbolic in consideration of the dubious ingenuity of the smugglers to the extent that they could contemplate that mode of concealment. Answering questions on the expectations of the Service in the new dispensation, the Controller stated, “The Service under the present Comptroller-General of Customs Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali Rtd will reach its full potentials in view of the antecedents of the CGC and his generally acclaimed stance on anti-corruption.
“We have taken cognisance of the new order and we must work towards ensuring that the mission and vision of the Comptroller-General is actualised.”
On the issue of frozen poultry products, the Controller pointed out that the Service since inception of ‘Operation Hawk Descend’ have recorded very remarkable achievement which can easily be seen from the scarcity and high cost of the products in the Nigerian market.
“From the look of things, it is certain that our aggressive patrol activities along the flanks and flashpoints have turned on serious heat on the smugglers, thereby forcing them in their desperation to look for alternative means of smuggling. Unfortunately, we are totally determined and committed to this assignment irrespective of whatever their antics might be,” he noted.
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