Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 2 at the weekend said it intercepted 1,410 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), worth N30.4m within one week. This is even as JBPT Sector 2 unit said it also seized other contrabands worth N1.12bn and arrested five suspects in connection with the various seizures.
The Coordinator of the team, Mohammad Shuaibu, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Customs Training College in Lagos.
Shuaibu said that the team intercepted the contrabands within their area of jurisdiction adding that some were intercepted at the creeks.
According to Shuaibu, “In our effort to actualise the mandate of combating smuggling and trans- border crimes, we intercepted some goods for violating various sections of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and the Federal Government’s Import and Export Guidelines, the goods worth, N1.12bn. They were intercepted across the borders of the six states of the south-west geo- political zone.
“Other items seized include, 4,051 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 3, 751, Jerrycans of PMS, 425 cartons of frozen poultry products, 912 pieces of used tyres, 30 sacks of cannabis sativa
“30 units of cars as means of conveyance, seven units of imported (tokunbo) cars, four units of motorcycles among others,” he said.
The coordinator stated that the team also recovered a total of N11.5m as revenue through the issuance of debit notes on vehicles and other goods improperly imported into the country.
However, Shuaibu disclosed that the team intercepted 30 illegal immigrants.
“With the Nigeria Immigration Service as a critical component of the joint border patrol team, we intercepted 30 illegal immigrants suspected to have violated immigration laws and were immediately handed over to the NIS for further investigation and prosecution” Shuaibu disclosed.
He warned smugglers to desist from the crimes adding that they have multiple effects such as, undermining national security through the movements of illicit goods, such as drugs, weapons, and human trafficking across the international borders.
According to him, smuggle impacts negatively on the economy by depleting the nation’s revenue base through evasion of duties and taxes.