Kwara: Customs seize goods worth N61m in 18 days

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Joint Border Operations Drill (JBOD) Sector 3, said it seized various goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth N61 million in eighteen days.

The Coordinator of Joint Border Operations Drill covering North Central states, Compt. Olugboyega Peters, said this on Tuesday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, while briefing newsmen on the sector’s activities for the period under review.

He stated that part of the new strategies deployed against smuggling led to seizures that summed up to 43 from Mokwa-Jebba, Gwanara, Okuta and other axis of the Sector.

The team made some seizures, which includes 23 Units of Used Vehicles; 1,274 Bags of Foreign parboiled Rice; One locally made Gun, a Pistol and 8 Cartridges; 9 Drums of AGO; 242 Jerri cans of PMS; 7 Motorcycles; 7 Jerri Cans of 25litres of Groundnut oil.

The five suspects apprehended with the locally made pistol and cartridges. They are illegal immigrants and were handed over to Nigeria Police Force and Nigerian Immigration Service on the 25th March, Peters said.

He added, “I have said this before and I will continue to say that there is no retreat on the fight against smuggling in whatever guise. We cannot continue to fold our arms and allows every Tom, Dick and Harry to come in and out of our country illegally. Trans-border crimes, such as the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, ammunition, human trafficking, drug trafficking, banditry and terrorism are among other security challenges, which we must check.

“The fight against smuggling activities in the North Central axis will continue to receive a sustained momentum that will lead to more seizures and enforcement of Federal Government policies/directives towards curtailing smuggling activities. I, therefore, stress the need for all illicit traders to desist from all illegal trades and try to engage in legitimate businesses.

“Border Closure is not meant to witch hunt members of any community or individual but aimed at encouraging local farmers; control the inflow of arms and ammunition, illegal Immigrant, stop illicit drugs and all other prohibited goods in and out of the country and improve the economy.”

He furthered that the sector has stepped up extra measures to combat the influx of foreign rice smuggling and other prohibited items into the country.