For the third time in less than one year the Nigerian Customs , Area
11, Onne , Rivers State said it has impounded a 40ft container
comprising 600 pairs of military camouflage uniforms, 600 pairs of
military caps and 600 pairs military jungle boots.
The Area Comptroller of the Nigerian Customs, Area 11 Onne , Rivers
State, Aliyu Galadima Saidu who disclosed this to Journalists
yesterday at Onne said that the military wares were concealed in a
40ft container.
He said the military wears were prohibited items and has no monetary
value as regards duty payment.
Saidu said that the Command impounded fifty-five 20ft container of
foreign rice which he said contained 510 (50kg) bags of rice , 1040
(25kg) bags of rice, 19680 (10kg) bags of rice with total Duty Paid
Value of N364,746,762.
He said that 15 bales of new 80 rolls of water hose, 10 cartons of
singlet, 50 cartons of shoes, 207 cartons of tiles , bales of socks
with DPV of N4.6m were impounded by the Command.
He said “the Comptroller-General of Customs has zero tolerance for
smuggling and the Nigerian Customs Service will do everything in its
capacity to sustain the tempo. Over time , the Customs Area 11 Command
, Onne, has bemoaned the incessant activities of smugglers within the
territories, an activity which has wreaked so much havoc on the
nation’s economy”
” Fifty-five 20ft container of foreign rice which contained 510 (50kg)
, 1040 (25kg), bags of rice, 19680 (10kg), bags of rice with a total
DPV of N364,746,762 were impounded. A 40ft container comprising of 600
pairs of military camouflage uniforms , 600 pairs of military caps,
600 pairs of military jungle boots were impounded and all are total
prohibited items, therefore has no monetary value as regards duty
payment”
“Found in the same 40ft container were 15 bales of new , 80 rolls of
water hose , 10 cartons of singlet , 50 cartons of shoes , 207 cartons
of tiles, 15 bales of socks and other items with DPV of 4.6m and were
used to conceal the military uniform”
“Also impounded were six 20ft container with total of 13,560 cartons
of tomatoes paste with DPV of N70.5m. A container load of 575 machetes
with DPV of N21.2m and a container load of 1070 jerry-cans of cooking
oil with DPV were also impounded.”
He put Duty Paid Value of all the impounded items to N543,953,740.
Saidu said that the Command generated a total revenue of
N26,388,754,244m from duty paid on imported goods and recorded 10
seizures prohibited items.
He said that smuggling pose a threat to both the economy and security
of the country saying that those involved in the act are branded
economic saboteurs.