Customs Seizes Contraband Worth N171 Million

Zainab Sanni

The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has seized smuggled items including cannabis, bags of fertilizers, Premium Motor Spirit, bales of used dresses, used tyres and several bags of parboiled imported rice worth N171,001,782.

The Comptroller of Customs, Oyo/Osun Area Command, Mrs Helen Ngozi who made this known on Tuesday said the command was able to arrest 41 suspected smugglers.

She said, “The cumulative DPV for January to July 20 is N483,191,238 representing 170 per cent increase compared with the total value in 2019 which was put at N178,698,340.39.

“In comparison with N20,946,359,729.50 revenue collected between January and June 2019, the command made 65.4 per cent increase with a total revenue collection of N32,020,103,911.90 from January to June 2020, out of the N62,848,518,366.93 allotted to the Area Command for 2020 fiscal year.”

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Mrs Ngozi further noted that between May 1 and July, the Oyo/Osun Area Command intercepted 500 drums of 100 litres each of PMS and 320 kegs of 25 litres each of PMS was seized within the period. “One truck-load containing 800 bags of NPK fertilizer with DPV of N18,702,000 without end-user certificate was also seized.

“Other seizures made include 2,054 bags of 50 kilogrammes each of imported parboiled rice with DPV of N82,776,200; a total of 85 bales of second-hand clothing with DPV of N16,680,919; and 480 units of used tyres with DPV of N10,428,048”

“The items were conveyed with a Mazda 323 valued at N1,158,790; a Volkswagen Passat with DPV of N724,238; Mitsubishi Lancer with DPV of N1,838,017; three units of used Volkswagen Golf with DPV N3,259,068; and one used Volvo car with DPV of N2,896,950. “Other items that were recovered are one Ford Galaxy (N3,621,188); used Bedford Pick Up with DPV N1,303,628, and one used DAF truck with DPV of N10,906,294.”