The Oyo/ Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service said on Wednesday that it has seized prohibited items worth N28,889,848.79.
The items include fifteen (15) vehicles laden with assorted contraband goods with a total Duty Paid Value of N23,320,190.00.
Customs Area Controller in charge of Oyo and Osun States, Mr. Emmanuel Udo-Aka, while briefing journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, said that the vehicles were used to conceal the prohibited items, which included second hand clothing, foreign rice and other contraband goods.
Udo-Aka said that the contraband was seized last Saturday along the Saki axis in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State through a synergy with the headquarters Compliance Team and Customs Intelligence Unit of the Oyo axis.
He, however, said no suspect was arrested.
The area controller also said that another MAN Diesel truck with registration number LSD 445 XU concealing 172 pieces of used tyres and 272 pieces of vehicle wheels was also intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on June 9, 2017.
He said the DPV of the truck was N2,881,016.00, that of the used tyres was N1,100,757.000 while the DPV of the vehicle wheels was put at N1,587,936.00.
Udo-Aka said, “The overall Duty Paid Value of all the arrested items is twenty-eight million, eight hundred and eighty-nine thousand, eight hundred and forty-eight naira, seventy-eight kobo (N28,889,848.79).
“In keeping faith with this noble promise, the Oyo/Osun Area Command had initiated new anti-smuggling strategies, which led to remarkable exploits as evidenced in the arrest of fifteen (15) vehicles laden with assorted contraband goods with a total Duty Paid Value of N23,320,139.00, which are on display today.
“The arrested vehicles were used to conceal prohibited items, notably second hand clothing, foreign rice and other contraband goods. However, no suspect was arrested due to their smartness as they took to their heels and ran into bush as soon as they sighted the eagle-eyed Customs officers.
“The arrested vehicles include the under listed, one peugeot 406 2008 model with DPV of N1, 158,780.00, one Mitsubishi Lancer model with a DPV of N1,158,780.00, one Golf 1999 model with DPV of N1,158,780.00, three Toyota Corolla 2005 model with a DPV of N3,476,340.00, one Toyota Corolla 2005 Model with DPV of N2,027,856.00, one Toyota Corolla 2009 model with DPV of 3,331,493.00, one Honda Civic 2000 model with DPV of N1,158,780.00 and one Peugeot 2008 model with DPV of N1,158,780.00.
“Others are one Volkswagen Sharon 1999 model with DPV of N1,158,780.00, one Toyota Camry 2001 model with DPV of N1,158,780.00, one Toyota Venza 2009 model with DPV of N2,452,408.00, one Lexus RX 350 Jeep 2007 model with DPV of N2,076,291.00, one Nissan Pathfinder 2002 model with DPV of N1,861,291.00.
He added, “It is worrisome to note that some unpatriotic Nigerians still remain unrepentant despite the stern warning against smuggling and even as they continue to lose. It is also disheartening to discover that some members of the public, especially the elderly, do come to plead for the release of impounded contraband goods.
“While we will not tolerate smuggling either from the public or from the officers, who may want to connive with the smugglers, I want to make it crystal clear to the entire public that the period of 30 days of grace that was given for the public to pay duties for vehicles that were smuggled has expired. The grace period ended on the 19th of May, 2017. We also want to inform the public that anybody whose goods have been arrested by the Customs should come forth with the genuine documents and claim ownership within thirty days after which the goods are liable for seizure.
