The Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS, has intercepted 12,000 cutlasses and machetes; 4,129 packages of frozen poultry products; 368 jumbo bales of used second hand clothing and expired pharmaceutical, all valued at Two Hundred and Ninety-two Million, Two Hundred and Forty-four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-seven Naira (292,244,857.00).
The contraband were seized from seven containers on Thursday, July 18, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller B. O. Olomu, said in a statement issued by the command's Public Relations Officer (CPRO), CSC Abubakar Usman.
Giving an insight into the seizures, the CAC said, "On Thursday, 18 July 2024, the command seized 2x40ft containers carrying twelve thousand (12,000) pieces of cutlass and machete; 2x40ft carrying four thousand, one hundred and twenty-nine (4,129) packages of frozen hen; 1x40ft container carrying three hundred and sixty-eight (368) jumbo bales of used second hand clothing; and 1x40ft container of expired pharmaceutical.
He noted that, "this type of importation is against schedule 3 of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff (CET) and violates section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
According to the Customs boss, the seizures were made during examination, through combined intelligence and diligent enforcement, to ensure that no consignment exited the port or any terminal under it without undergoing proper examination.
Olomu stressed that, “as a working principle, the command will continually sustain and improve on trade facilitation and maximum revenue collection without compromising the enforcement of our extant laws as they pertain to false declaration, concealment, under declaration and under valuation".
He maintained that the command, under his leadership, would continually ensure enforcement of the requirements for sister regulatory agencies like the National Drug and Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in the case of food and drugs, and also ensure strict implementation of the end user certificate rules for products that require it from relevant authorities like the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Reiterating the Customs Comptroller-General, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi's earlier warning
on smuggling of prohibited items, Olomu said Apapa command would always ensure that only consignments that meet with the laid down rules would be allowed to go through the port, either as import or export cargoes.
He expressed his appreciation to sister security agencies in the command for their effective collaboration, and promised to that the seized items would be handed over to the appropriate agency for further investigation and regulatory action.
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