ABUJA: The Nigerian customs Service has seized 33, 246 cartons of frozen poultry products worth about N143. 62 million within the last five weeks, National Mirror investigations have revealed.
This is contained in the latest document on the ‘NCS Operation Hawk Descend’, a copy of which obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, on Monday.
The operation to tackle smuggling of banned poultry products by the Customs is currently being concentrated within the South Western axis of Nigeria – Benin border believed to be the major transit area for smugglers of the banned item.
National Mirror investigation also revealed that Ogun axis recorded the highest number of seizures of banned poultry products in Nigeria.
A breakdown of the seizures showed that within the period under review 13,335 cartons of banned poultry products were seized by the Ogun Command of the Nigeria Customs;, 2611 cartons by the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) ; 969 cartons from Seme; 267 cartons by the Oyo/Osun Command and 4,888 by the Western Marine Command.
Similarly, FOU A Command recorded 5,176 seizures while FOU B (Kaduna) made 6,000 seizures.
According to the report, most of the seizures were made when commercial vehicles conveying the banned item were apprehended by Customs Officers.
The report stated: “Frozen poultry products worth over N12 million was seized during the first week of operation “Hawk Descend” in the South Western axis of Nigeria – Benin border.. The seizures consist of 1,803 cartons of the banned products confiscated in the operation.
“In the second week of the Operation seizures worth N21,832,994 was made. The operation was flagged off in the South-Western flank of Nigeria borders to enforce the ban on imported frozen poultry products. The seizures which consist of 6,206 cartons of the banned products, were recorded at villages around the borders in Idiroko, Badagry Creeks, Badagry Water ways, and Agbara in the Lagos and Ogun states.
“The NCS made seizures worth N28,660,717 in the third week of its fight against smuggling of frozen poultry products tagged Operation Hawk Descend. The seizures which consist of 5,915 cartons of frozen poultry product, mostly conveyed in commercial vehicles was confiscated by Customs Officers around the South Western area of the country which consist of Badagry Creeks, Seme axis and Idiroko axis of Ogun state”, it added
The Service stated that statistics in the fourth week of this operation, showed that frozen poultry products worth N35,651,458.00 were seized, indicating a sharp increase when compared to the report of week three which had Duty Paid Value of N28,660,717 .
It pointed out further that the seizures which consist of 5,472 cartons of frozen poultry product, was confiscated at Idiroko bush path in Ogun States, Agbeji/Ife axis in Osun State and Seme axis in lagos State all around the South Western area of the country, adding that within the fifth week of the operation, NCS made seizures worth N 45,470,441 The Duty Paid Value is the highest recorded since the launch of the operation last month”.
Commenting on the on-going operations to stop the smuggling of banned poultry products across the country, the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, told our correspondent in a telephone interview in Abuja, on Monday, that the success so far recorded by the NCS had impacted positively in the economy in terms boosting local capacity and production of poultry products.
Adeniyi said, “The operation to rid the country of the menace of importation and smuggling of banned poultry products is on course and is in line with the objectives set out by the Comptroller General of Customs. The operation is for initial three months after which we shall review the efficacy of the operation.
“In fact, the successes so far recorded by through the Operation “Hawk Descend” has started impacting positively on our local poultry industry in terms boosting the production capacity. This has attracted the commendation of the Poultry Association of Nigeria.”
