Customs Zone C Intercepts Goods Worth N1.6B In Two Months, Including Armored Bullion Van

FOU Zone C Customs intercepts goods worth N1.6B billion in two months, including tyres and Armored Bullion Van.

Says Bullion Van without customs documents and End User Certificate was intercepted along the Okada/Benin Exp.

In its drive to curb smuggling within its areas of jurisdiction, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone ’C’ has intercepted goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.6 billion.

The Unit also arrested nine suspects concerning the seizures within the period under review (July 25 to September 23 2023).

The Acting Comptroller of the Unit, DC Kayode Kolade, disclosed this to journalists on Monday, 25 September 2023, at the Government Warehouse in Aduwawa, Benin City, Edo state.

Comptroller Kolade said that the unit recovered the sum of 54,244,571.00 from demand notices raised based on some infractions, making a cumulative sum of N1,634,794,571.00 within the months under review.

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Items intercepted includes Cannabis Sativa, Explosives’ Raw Materials, Smuggled Foreign Parboiled Rice and Tomato Paste, 5,737 pieces of used Pneumatic Tyres and 1 unit of armoured Bullion Van.

“The armoured Bullion Van without customs documents and End User Certificate was intercepted along the Okada/Benin Expressway”, he said.

He expressed worry over the smuggling of explosives even as the country continued grappling with the challenges associated with insecurity.

“More worrisome is the interception of 9 sacks 50kg each of explosive materials (fertiliser, device cables and superpower 90 chemicals). We all know the security implications if these explosive components reach their destination unchecked.

He urged journalists and Nigerians to help in the fight against smugglers by providing necessary intelligence and information that could assist the Service in arresting them.

The Comptroller warned smugglers to desist from their criminal activities, especially in the ember period, noting that no amount of attacks would stop nor distract Customs from performing their duties.

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