The Lilypond Export Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 11 containers of raw and unprocessed timber.
The Controller of the command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya disclosed at a press conference that the seized containers have an estimated street value of Two Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-Four US Dollars ($295,944.00.
The controller explained that acting on credible intelligence, a combined team of the Command officers and officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), following the discharge of some export bound containers at the barge area of Apapa Port on October 11, 2024, intercepted and detained the containers suspected to being used for smuggling. They were eleven units of 20FT containers fully laden with Rough/Sawn Timber.
He stated that the command on November 1, 2024 scheduled the suspected containers for hundred percent physical examination and they were found to contain raw and unprocessed timber which contravenes Schedule 6 of the Common External Tariff (CET).
Odusanya gave the particulars of the eleven containers as TRLU9354677, MRKU9991028, TCLU2179830, MSKU5051480, MRKU7071648, MSKU5894593, TCLU2179830, MSKU5051480, MRKU7071648, MSKU5894593, TCLU2543324, MSKU3929849, MSKU7323470, MSKU5953248, and GAOU2550990.
He declared that going by the provisions of Sections 148,149 and 150 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 the detained containers are hereby being converted to seizures. Though he noted that the command is yet to apprehend the culprits behind this criminal act, but expected the seizures to serve as deterrent to any person or export trader planning to perpetuate similar offence.
The controller assured that the long arms of the law would catch up with anyone that dares the command’s resolve, adding that this further underscores the Comptroller General of Customs’ zero tolerance for smuggling, even in the area of export.
According him, the seizure goes further to confirm the command’s alertness with the support of other units within the service and sister government agencies to detect and prevent criminal activities in the area of export.
Odusanya used the opportunity to, once again, urge our Small, Medium and Large-scale exporters to take advantage of the command’s easy processes and window of opportunities provided by the Federal Government to encourage export trade.
He promised to continue to engage partners and stakeholders as mandated by the CGC following the theme of the World Customs Organization for 2024 and that of the recently held 2024 Comptroller General of Customs Conference.
He noted that the seizures were made with a view to deterring exporters from violating the law in the course of doing their business, warning that the command have a resolve not to sacrifice compliance on the altar of trade facilitation as it shall always prevent the export of any consignment that run in conflict with the laws of the country. “It is in the light of this that the command notifies the general public of its latest fight against smuggling and defiance to extant Customs laws and regulations”, the controller hinted.