Lagos – The Headquarters Compliance Team, Ogun State Axis, has impounded 2,438 cartons of smuggled poultry products valued at N13.16 million along Ijebu-Ode Sagamu Expressway.
This is contained in a statement on Wednesday by the Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The statement said that the Leader of the NCS Compliance Team, Assistant Comptroller Shittu Abdulmaruf, disclosed the seizures.
Abdulmaruf said that, “Despite several entreaties to smugglers for a rethink on their illicit activities, they are still adamant as they continued to engage in excesses in their bid to circumvent the trade policies of the Federal Government. ’’
According to him, it is disheartening that people do not bother to weigh the consequences of their actions before embarking on them.
The team leader explained that that one of his patrol teams intercepted a trailer with registration number AGL 53 XF suspected to be carrying frozen poultry products along the Ijebu-Ode Sagamu Expressway.
He stated that his operatives, out of curiosity, insisted in conducting physical examination on the truck.
The Customs officer said that the examination revealed that the truck had 2,438 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products, concealed with 22 pallets of Malt drinks.
Abdulmaruf said that his team, in less than 20 hours thereafter intercepted a truck laden with imported shoes and canvas along the tollgate end of Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway.
According to him, the truck has been deposited at the Customs House, Ibadan, where 100 percent examination will be conducted to ascertain the quantity and status of the consignment.
On modalities being adopted by his team in suppressing smuggling, the team leader said that this was as a result of the determination of his team to continually wreck havoc on smugglers.
He noted that were being made to strengthen and improve on operational strategies of the team in line with the `Change’ ideology of the Federal Government.
The team leader further said that his team in collaboration with the other anti-smuggling units had the capacity and capability to degrade smugglers.
“We are not unmindful of their desperation to smuggle in terms of going the extra miles, using any available strategy.
“The good news is that we are always several steps ahead of them.
“The task of policing the entire area under our coverage is a responsibility that we cannot afford to abdicate.
“We are not oblivious of the expectations of the Management of Nigeria Custom Service, in terms of optimal performance, hence our desire to make the management proud.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has risen up to this challenge and will not rest on its oars until we suppress smuggling to barest minimum,’’ NAN quotes Abdulmaruf as saying.
The team leader solicited the support of Nigerians in the fight against smuggling and promised that the identity of informants would be jealously guided, so as not to endanger their lives.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali and the NCS management for their logistic support, which had given the anti-smuggling team the needed impetus to excel.
“We cannot afford to renege on this assignment, irrespective of circumstance,’’ NAN further quotes him as saying. (NAN)
