No fewer than 11 suspects have been arrested over the interception of 3,116 pieces of cutlasses, 162 (96kg) parcels of Indian hemp, 7,403 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice and other seizures by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja.
The Acting Controller of the Unit, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, announced the seizures and arrest of the suspects at a media briefing on Wednesday.
Among other seizures include 53,759 litrs of petroleum motor spirit, 121 cartons of frozen poultry product, 724 bales of used second hand clothings and 3 units of used motorcycles
He also added that 97 pieces of used tyres, 11 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil, 13 units of used fridges, 700 rolls of cigarettes, 23 cartons of dates, 9 units of vehicles
and 2 1×40 containers of charcoal were also among the seizures.
The total duty paid value (DPV) of the goods, according to him was put at N671,609,384.5.
The items were seized along the border areas in the the South west Zone,he said, adding that11 suspects were arrested.
Ejibunu told newsmen on Wednesday, “having understood the unrepentant nature of some economic
saboteurs’ increased desperation to smuggle and their quest to acquire wealth ahead of the festive period, this Unit had remained resolute in enforcing compliance with the federal government fiscal policies, Customs and Excise laws.
“While doing this, we have evolved better strategies of being ahead of them; not only to seize their wares, but to get them arrested and prosecuted”.
He also disclosed that cumulative revenue recovery within the period under review was N42,320,098.00.
He said that amount would have been lost to individuals, if not
for the diligent and meticulous documentary checks by officers of this Unit.
He appealed to the trading community to be patriotic by making sincere declarations, and paying the maximum duties/levies payable to the federal government or be ready for the consequences of non-compliance.
He warned, “anyone found culpable of the aforementioned would lead to economic loss and prosecution as prescribed by the extant laws”.
