The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has intercepted some smuggled cannabis, Premium Motor Spirit, truck load of fertilizer, used tyres and bags of parboiled imported rice with total Duty Paid Value of N171,001,782 between May and July this year.
Making this disclosure at the NCS Zonal headquarters, Ibadan, was the Area Comptroller of Customs, Oyo/Osun Area Command, Mrs Helen Ngozi.
According to her, the seizures were made on different occasions by men of the command within the period under review.
Giving the breakdown to journalists, she said 48 seizures were made with a total of 41 arrests.
Ngozi, 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 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.”
The Customs chief stressed that between May 1 and July, the Oyo/Osun Area Command seized a total of 500 drums of 100 litres each of Premium Motor Spirit.
Also, a total of 320 kegs of 25 litres each of PMS was seized within the period.
All the seizures, she said, would be auctioned and the proceeds would be remitted accordingly.
In addition, a total of 340 compressed blocks of cannabis saliva (Indian Hemp) with Duty Paid Value of N16,706,452 were intercepted.
This, she said, would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Ngozi further declared that “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.
“Others 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.”
According to her, the success was made possible by the resilience of the command and the cooperation of some members of the public.
She, however, warned the criminal elements in the society against involvement in illicit activities that undermined the economic growth and development of the country, saying, “Be assured that the long arms of the law will catch up with smugglers.”
While the compressed consignment of the seized Indian Hemp was being handed over to the Nigerian Drug Law and Enforcement Agency, the Staff Officer, Operations and Intelligence, NDLEA, Oyo State Command, Segun George, said, “We shall not rest on our oars.
The arrest made now is a testimony of the collaboration among sister security agencies in the country.”
