The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Lagos, yesterday, said it impounded contraband goods with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N4.6 billion.
It also said N192 million was recovered from various malpractices in import duties.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, Acting Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Unit, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, also disclosed that four Customs officers serving in the unit lost their lives in the course of anti-smuggling activities last year.
Ejibunu said a total of 23 suspected smugglers were arrested out of which five were given administrative bail while 18 are in the unit’s custody.
Ejibunu said some of the seized items includes 9,697 bags of 50kg each, 3,173 cartons of basmati rice at 5kg each and 297 bags (25kg) Foreign Parboiled Rice and 1,076 kegs at 25 litres of Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS.
Other seized items he said are 195 bales of used clothes, 51 parcels (39.5KG) Indian hemp, 68 sacks of used clothes, 2,535 pieces used tyres and 17 units of used vehicles.
Ejibunu said other seized items are 206 used compressors, 7,557,400 tablets of 225mg Tramadol, seven units used motorcycles, 21 bales of new bed sheet and 57 units used plasma TV.
He said the unit’s anti-smuggling and revenue recovery activities will increase this year due to the support and logistics upgrade it received from the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS management and Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali.
