At a time when price of premium motor spirit (PMS) popularly referred to as petrol has gone up due to the removal of oil subsidy, the Federal Operations Unit, Zone B Kaduna of Nigeria Customs Service has seized 28,500 litres of the product.
The impounded fuel include 3,500 litres of Automotive Gas Oil popularly called diesel in 140 jerry cans of 25 litres each. The PMS was in 1000 jerry cans of 25 litres each.
According to the press release signed by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, SC Isah Sulaiman, between the month of May and July this year, the unit under Comptroller Musa Ibrahim Jalo recorded a total of One Hundred and Seventy Nine (179) seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One Billion, Forty Four Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira, Eighty Kobo (N1,044,772,159.80K).
The statement stated that the assortments of items which were arrested in different locations within the Zone, were mainly intelligence driven, plus the due vigilance and diligence of officers and men of the unit.
Of particular note in the array of seizures is the illicit substances like Cannabis Sativa jointly arrested with Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) in Kebbi, vehicles, smuggled foreign parboiled rice and second hand clothing, foreign soaps, vegetable oil and pastas, among others.
The press statement stressed that officers and men who have remained focused are presently also in sync with the current work agenda and orientation of the new administration ably led by the Ag. Comptroller -General of Customs, Bashir Wale Adeniyi MFR.
It gave the breakdown of the seizures for the period under review as follows:
* 21 units of used vehicles
* 11 units of vehicles (Means of Conveyance)
* 2234 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50Kg each)
* 48 bags of foreign parboiled rice (25Kg each)
* 226 jerry cans of foreign refined vegetable Oil (25litres each)
* 2780 cartons of foreign spaghetti, macaroni and couscous
* 278 bales of foreign second hand clothing
* 15 sacks of foreign second hand shoes
* 140 cartons of foreign Tin Tomato Paste
* Foreign Pomade
* Foreign Milky Creamer
* Foreign Green Tea
* Foreign MIlk
*149 Cartons of Foreign Fruit Juice
* Foreign Soap
* Foreign Matches
* 140 Jerry cans of Automotive Gas Oil (25litres each)
18. 1000 Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (25litres each)
Other items include:
* Foreign Used Tyres
* Foreign Eclairs Sweets
* Foreign Shisha (Tobacco)
* Foreign Expired Cigarette
*Foreign Vitamin D3 Supplements
* Foreign Charcoal Briskets
* Foreign LPG Cylinders (100Kg each)
* Foreign Tiger Nut (100Kg each)
* Foreign Used Belts, and
* 81 Parcels of Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana).
Given the aforementioned seized items which are largely prohibited, Comptroller Jalo appealed to smugglers to desist from their nefarious works.
In his words: “l like to use this medium to appeal to the perpetrators to desist and engage in legitimate trade because this Unit has no plans to negotiate our extant laws.
“We will continue to confront all acts of smuggling and to crush every obstacle on the way with all lawful force, therefore l advise Nigerians to take advantage of the renewed hope agenda of the new administration and the commitment of our CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, to raise the scale of trade facilitation through improved compliance and continuous partnership and engagement.
“In line with the standard operating procedure (SOP) guiding the operations of sister agencies, the Unit has handed over seized items outside its primary purview to relevant agencies.
9. “We have enjoyed their unwavering corporation and support and solicit for more collaboration, including your good selves, our revered gentlemen of the forth estate of the realm, for showcasing our activities even as we look forward for more of your objective reportage.”