Customs Intercepts Bulletproof Vehicles, Destroy 5,364 Cartons of Smuggled Poultry Products

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stepped up its campaign against smugglers of prohibited items into the country as it has intercepted contrabands with a duty paid value (DPV) N197, 385, 747.

The prohibited items are high on the Import Prohibition List (IPL) which is prepared by the Federal Ministry of Finance and managed by NCS based on the fiscal policies of the federal government.

The service also made seizures of 42 various contraband just as it arrested 14 persons suspected to be behind the smuggling of the items into the country.

The intercepted items include 5,364 cartons of imported frozen poultry products (chicken, turkey and gizzard) which were deliberately concealed in Mercedes Benz trucks to evade prying eyes of security operatives.

The interception of the contraband and the arrests of the suspected smugglers are coming barely one week after the service recorded a major breakthrough in its onslaught against smugglers of illegally imported goods into the country.

The suspects are said to be helping the authorities with what they know about the smuggling of the items into the country.

These were disclosed yesterday by the NCS, Customs Area  Comptroller (CAC), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, Imo State, Comptroller Victor David Dimka, while showing the seizures to journalists.

In order to beat men and officers of the zone, Dimka revealed that the prohibited items were concealed with used Jacuzzi bathing tubes, rolls of black polythene nylon bags, and crates of woods lining the walls of the truck.

According to him, the items which were seized on the Benin, Agbor and Bayelsa/Port-Harcourt axis in the early hours of August 13 and 14 have a DPV of N89, 338, 400. In addition, a total of 100 vehicles with fake documents were impounded along Benin expressway, Agbor-Asaba axis and Aba/Owerri highway of which 15 are latest models of vehicles ranging from Toyota Camry (bulletproof cars) 2015 model without end-user certificate, six Land Cruiser Prado, Land Cruiser VXR, Toyota Fortuner, Lexus LX 570 and M/Benz CLS 350, all 2014/2015 model worth N346, 347, 568.

Giving an insight into the arrest, the CAC disclosed that while four suspects were arrested in connection with the illegally imported frozen poultry products, eight were apprehended in connection with the smuggled vehicles.

The destruction of the imported frozen poultry products was carried out in the presence of some officials of NESREA, NAFDAC and DSS in line with the recently launched “Operation Hawk Descend” by NCS to check the activities of smugglers of poultry products into the country.

The Customs Chief also revealed that a total of 300 bags of 50kg rice with DPV of N6, 000, 000 were also seized by his officers at Ikom border in Cross River State, with two suspects involved in the shady deal.

According to him, the suspects are already helping NCS in their investigations into the illegal importations of the seized items.
Dimka used the occasion to decry the rising tide of smuggling activities in the country despite the obvious consequences of the unpatriotic business.

He warned those still involved to desist forthwith in their own interest, even as he reminded smugglers that NCS is now better trained, equipped and motivated with necessary logistics to meet its challenges.

Dimka who is noted for his exploits against smugglers in his previous postings observed that smuggling of contraband goods has continued to damage the nation’s economy and many families have been ruined as a result of the indulgence of some of their beloved ones in this obnoxious act.