The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, has disclosed that it seized various contraband goods worth N1.06billion in the first quarter of 2020.
The largest chunk of goods seized by the command within the quarter was the haul of Indian hemp worth N1billion.
The Comptroller of the command, Mr. Olugboyega Peters, said this was the highest value of goods seized by the command since it was created.
He added that the achievement of the command was an indication of an increase in anti-smuggling activities.
Within the period under review, a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Emmanuel Tangwa, stated that the anti-smuggling operations of the command yielded a total of 39 seizures as against 12 in the previous year.
It said the total duty paid value of the items seized amounted to N1.06 billion as against a DPV of N36.42million recorded in Q1 2019.
Giving a breakdown of the seized goods, he said 1,816 bags of rice with a duty of N38.13 million; 733 cartons of poultry products with a duty of N7.42 million; 104 bales of second-hand clothing with a duty valued N4.39 million and 665 bales of textile material with duty worth N2.09 million, were confiscated.
Others are 112 litres of petroleum products with duty worth N112,000; 196 bags of Cannabis Sativa with duty valued at N1 billion; 25 bales of second-hand shoe/belt worth N8.02 million; and 25 cartons of chewing gum with duty worth N1.2 million.
According to him, the largest volume of Indian hemp at a go in the history of the Customs was seized in the quarter under review.
Source: THISDAY
