The Federal Operations Unit Zone "A" of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted twenty (20) drums of carbide without an end-user certificate and forty-one (41) pieces of Military camouflage bags in different locations of the South West Zone.
The Acting Comptroller in charge of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu disclosed at the Press briefing, showcasing the seizures made in August 2022 at the Customs Headquarters in Ikeja Lagos.
"On the seized 20 drums of carbide, it is instructive to emphasize that such importation raises concerns of national security. This is because it is a chemical used for manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and could cause danger to life and property. Allowing things like this chemical into society uncontrollably could create serious security challenges for the country. Carbide is flammable, and reactive and can cause explosion hazards when mixed with other chemicals and exposed to water or moisture. It forms flammable acetylene gas that could be used to endanger lives by lawless persons." Ejibunu stated.
On the forty-one pieces of Military Camouflage bags, he stated that they were intercepted in a commercial vehicle around Ogere in Ogun State. He emphasised that Military wears is not for Public usage.
Other Seizures made in August are; 1 x 20ft containing 21 pallets of tiles, falsely declared as PVC floor tiles/floor bricks, 1 x 20ft containing Padi Bitters, falsely declared as olive nuts, 1 x 20ft containing unprocessed wood, falsely declared as aluminium ingots, 1 x 20ft containing bales of used clothes and shoes.
Other items intercepted are 5,593 (50kg) bags of foreign parboiled rice; equivalent to 9 trailers truckload, 29 motorcycles, 56,725 litres of premium motor spirit, 375 bales of used clothes, and 242 parcels of Indian Hemp among others.
The seized items during the period under review have an aggregated duty paid value (DPV) of Five Hundred and Seventy-nine Million, Four Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-nine Naira (N579,412,549).
"In our efforts to prevent loss of government revenue due to underpayments, undervaluation of imported items and wrong harmonised system (HS) code classification, we recovered a total of Forty-six Million, Two Hundred and Ninety-eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-two Naira, Fifty Kobo (N46,298,422.50)." He also revealed.
He sent a strong warning to non-compliant traders, that any attempt to violate the provisions of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP C45 LFN 2004, which is customs enabling legislation will be met with total resistance.
"On the part of smugglers and duty evaders, our 24-hour round-the-clock patrols are constantly rejigged for efficiency. Nigerians should be assured that we are not in any way going to relent in the discharge of our functions." He reiterated.
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