Customs seize 310 drums of petrol, 180 bales of second hand clothes, others
Segun Showunmi in Ibadan
The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has seized 310 drums of 100 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as Petrol, together with 180 bales of second hand cloth, and others.
Penpushing reports that the Area Controller, Oyo/Osun Command, Helen Uche-Ngozi, made this disclosure on Tuesday during a press briefing which was held at the Command headquarters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The custom boss put the total duty collected between January and April at N20, 051,805,179 only ,adding that, “other seizures includes: 180 kegs of 25 litres of petrol, 3,465 bags of 50kg parboiled rice with Duty Paid Value of N82,636185; 13 kegs of 25litres each of vegetable oil with DPV of N282,426; 44 gallons of 4litre each of vegetable oil with DPV of N278,805; 20 unit of used tyres with DPV of N162,938. Total DPV for the seizures stands at N96,612,665.
“During our anti-smuggling activities of March and April 2020, the Command made a seizure of 310 drums of 100litres each and 180kegs of 25litres each of Premium Motor Spirit otherwise called petrol at different points and axis of the Command’, he said.
Penpushing further reports that Uche-Ngozi noted that the petrol seized will be auctioned and the proceeds will be remitted accordingly, adding that custom has also been able to identify a petrol filling station carrying out illegal activities within its premises, and the petrol station has been sealed while arrested suspects were made to write statement and undertaking to desist from such illicit activities.
“We made an unusual seizure of 180bales of second hand clothing from the train operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation with Duty Paid Value of N13,252,311. We got it in a coach”,he stated
The customs boss listed the means of conveying the banned products which include two Dangote trucks; two J5 buses; one Fiat Ducato; one Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle; one Mazda 323; four Volkswagen Golf cars; one Ford Transit bus; one Mercedes Benz truck; and two Mazda 626 car.
“Others are one Daf truck; one Mazda 326; one Mazda bus; three Nissan Pathfinder; three Nissan Pickup; one Mitsubishi Spacewagon; one Toyota Camry; one Toyota 4Runner; and four Volvo cars, with total value of N97,165,164.”
“For this phase of seizures, the total Duty Paid Value is equivalent to N193, 777,829. In summary, the cumulative Duty Paid Value from January to April is N312, 189,456. Within the period under review, we have made 72 seizures and 63 detentions’,she said.
“We carried out our enforcement and anti-snuggling activities with utmost professionalism, caution and intelligence gathering. We urge the public to cooperate with the Nigeria Customs Service in the implementation of the government fiscal policies to help the economy and social welfare of the nation.”
“Despite this pandemic period, we worked tirelessly as a service to ensure that our borders are secure and smuggling activities are reduced to the bearest minimum, we combed bushes day and night to ensure that government fiscal policy is forced and local production encouraged to increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and economic development.”
Penpushing also reports that she however acknowledge the cooperation of the traditional rulers, community leaders, stakeholders and the people of Oyo and Osun States in identifying and providing enabling environment for the officer to function properly, saying that officers and men at the Oyo/Osun Area command have shown professionalism, zeal and experience in the course of discharging their duties.
The custom boss therefore called on Nigerians to shun smuggling and pay accurate duties, assuring the citizens of custom cooperation in facilitating legitimate trade activities.
