KOREDE FOGO
The Strike Force unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone A, on Thursday, said, it intercepted eight trucks of foreign parboiled rice smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.
Speaking during his maiden press briefing in Lagos, Muhammad Yusuf, said the unit also intercepted contraband worth N373.6million.
According to him, the smuggled rice and other contraband were intercepted along the nation’s borders and warehouses across the state.
The items seized, according to, Yusuf are, 3 by 20ft containers of timber worth, N177.7million; 1000 foreign smuggled rice, with Duty Paid Value of N43.2million; 3,143 pieces of used tyres worth, N75.4milion, used clothes worth N33.8million.
Others are, 663 sacks of used shoes worth N37.8million, 44 sacks of donkey skin, N2.42million and 137.3kg of Canabis Sativa worth, N13million.
She said, “we are working 24 hours from day one and they have us to contend with any time they dare to carry out their illicit activities either at night or in the day. I am happy to declare that our operatives are relentless and uncompromising as far as this task is concerned.
This is just the beginning of heated anti-smuggling action which we have embarked upon in the entire South West area of the country.
We are ready to run smugglers out of town with the full support and encouragement of our CGC, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali, Rtd.
This task is aimed at protecting our national economy and preventing dangerous importation as well as exportation that contradicts the law.
Our patrolling and interdiction capacity is recharged for round the clock operation against smugglers and anyone attempting to circumvent the due process of import and export.