CUSTOMS CONFISCATE MULTI-MILLION NAIRA IILEGAL GOODS

The Nigeria customs Service has intensified its surveillance operations to ensure total clamp down on smugglers. The Controller, Federal Operations Unit of Customs in charge of Zone C, Alhaji Bukar Amajam made this known in Owerri while displaying items worth hundreds of millions confiscated by his men in some South-East and South-South States.

He said though the Nigeria Customs Service had queued into the new policy of the Federal Government on “Ease of doing business,” the Agency would not allow miscreants to sabotage the nation’s economy.

Alhaji Amajam said the over one hundred bags of fifty kilogram of foreign rice that were confiscated on Aba-Oron road, linking Abia and Akwa-Ibom States would be taken to internally placed persons’ camp in line with government’s directives.

He also played trucks loaded with fabrics, gas cylinders, sowing machine and tailoring materials with duty value of over one hundred and forty million naira, noting that the importers short changed the government by not declaring the actual contents.

“Along the roads they have informants, if the see customs at far they will make a call, by the time we go there, we will not see anyone of them. We are mindful of the Federal Government’s ease of doing business and transparency but in a situation a declaration, how can you because of it allow him to go.

“This country needs money and we are bound to collect it and every Kobo that is accruable to this country, that’s why we are going the extra mile to pay for information to get bad guys who transact type of business.”

Alhaji Amajam said the owners of the goods had within thirty days to pay the actual duties or forfeit the items. He said the Service had concluded plans to sanction any clearing agency that engaged in sharp practices.

CHINAZO ILECHUKWU