[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Area Controller of Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba has disclosed that the command intercepted 29 vehicles and goods worth about N1.1 billion in December 2018 in a press briefing on Tuesday.
He added that a Mitsubishi Triton L200, 2005 Model belonging to Ramona Nigeria Limited, makers of Fresh yogurt, Blue Boat was intercepted for allegedly smuggling a total of twenty bags of rice from neighbouring Benin Republic. The vehicle branded Blue Boat ‘Freshyo Drinking Yoghurt’ was detained on the 12th of December 2018 for conveying the banned Items along Lagos Badagry expressway. The smuggled rice which was detained with the vehicle with registration number GGE 417 XU has a payable duty of N747,877.63 with Duty Paid Value of N3,337,316.00k. Speaking on the development, the Seme Customs Area Controller,Comptroller Uba Garba Mohammed, maintained that it took intelligence of the officers to be able to discover the contents of the vehicle. Uba said the driver had cleverly beaten other security agencies along the corridor before it was finally intercepted by eagle eye officers and men of the service. The Comptroller further noted that the driver of the vehicle escaped, while the company van was taken to the command.
The controller warned manufacturers of locally- made goods to desist from helping to aid smuggling saying officers and men of the service would continue to search any vehicle along the ECOWAS routes. The Customs boss said in time past the command has cases of intercepting heavy duty vehicles belonging to well known manufacturing companies in Nigeria, laden with thousands of 50kg parboiled bags of rice. According to the controller, 27 other vehicles which were nabbed included 22 fairly used vehicles and six means of conveyance have also been seized. He added that notable among them were Toyota Coaster Van (2014 model), Toyota Land cruiser Prado (2011), Mercedes Benz GLK 350 (2010), Toyota Sienna (2013), Toyota 4 Runner (2014) and a host of others. He said that the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) for the vehicles stands at N177,314,091. Other items seized by the command within the period under review include; 6,753 bags of 50kg foreign rice which is equivalent to over 11 Trailer trucks (DPV) N121,689,06O plus Levy of N35,790,900 making a total of N157million. “45 pieces of 25 litres Jerry Cans of vegetable oil (DPV) N573,750, 135 bags of 50kg Bags of sugar (DPV) worth N567,000: 71 kegs of 25 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with a DPV of N106,500,” he explained.
“Other items seized include 21 cartons of tinned tomatoes worth N127,575, two sacks of used shoes N67,500 and 91 parcels of hard drugs.” The customs area controller further stated that the 91 parcels of hard drugs and narcotics seized had been handed over to the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the suspect, Kenneth Cornelius, has been prosecuted successfully and now serving jail term of two years. He added that the anti-smuggling success story is a blow to smugglers and also a sound warning to those who have dubious intention to desist or face the wrath of law as he reassured that the command has redoubled its efforts towards reducing smuggling to its barest minimum.