Customs confiscates 31 vehicles

Benin - The Federal Operations Unit (FOU)
Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Owerri,
says it has confiscated 31 vehicles and seven
trucks laden with rice worth N235.6 million
smuggled into the country.

Victor Dimka, the Area Controller of the Zone
which comprises South-South and South-East
states, made this known on Monday when he
took newsmen to the command's office in Benin
to inspect the goods.
He said the vehicles and the seven trucks
containing 4 200 bags of rice were intercepted
and impounded at different points in the zone.

Dimka recalled that the zone on March 13
impounded 5 085 bags of rice with duty paid
value of N150 million, all totaling 9 285 bags of
rice seized by the customs within three weeks.
“The price of the bags of rice is N160.44 million
while the cost of the seized 31 vehicles is
N75.19 million
“Five persons have been arraigned at different
courts within the zone in connection with the
seized goods and over 1 100 tyres concealed in
saw dust were also impounded by my men.''

He expressed concern over the desperation of
smugglers in perpetrating their evil acts, which
he said made some smugglers to forge
documents and shoot his men for carrying out
their lawful duties.
The area controller expressed the determination
of the zone to win the war against rice
smuggling the way it did on poultry foods.
“Today, we are breaking the supply chain of rice
smuggling in the zone as we did with poultry.

We will not hesitate to shoot back at any
smuggler who tries to kill our men in the course
of their duty.
“The smugglers are becoming wiser and more
desperate by the day. They now shoot at our
officers while they are carrying out their lawful
duty.

“We are saying this and giving this warning for
the last time. We are not supposed to kill, but we
will not watch and allow our men to die while on
duty,” he said.
He advised Nigerians to always engage in
genuine business, clear their goods with genuine
documents with the customs and not with
agents.

Dimka said that the command would would
continue to sensitise the public to avoid
purchasing smuggled goods.
“This is a wake-up call for everybody. We are
trying our best. Everybody must rise up to fight
this menace.
“Goods should not be brought in through an
unapproved route and the duties unpaid for. The
only genuine route to bring in goods is the
ports,’’ he said.

- NAN