Customs Impounds 2,000 Cartons Of Imported Poultry, 27 Items Worth Over N219m

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ Owerri has impounded a 40 feet container of two thousand (2,000) cartons of imported frozen poultry products cleverly concealed with three thousand, three hundred (3,300) crates of Lacasara drinks with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of fifty-three million, three hundred thousand naira (N53,300,000) on the Benin express way – Edo State.

The items were suspected to have been preserved with chemicals meant for the preservation of dead bodies by the smugglers.

This came on the heels of the seizure of one thousand five hundred (1,500) cartons of the same hazardous products in January, 2016 by the unit.

The Customs Area Controller in charge of the Unit, Comptroller Haruna Mamudu disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the Customs house premises in Benin Edo state, during which he explained that the recent seizure of imported frozen poultry products coincided with the end of February month report, which he said that 27 seizures were recorded with a DPV of N219,239,208.21.

According to him, 12 suspects were arrested and sixty-five million, four hundred and thirty four thousand, four hundred and forty-one naira (N65,434,441.00) underpayment recovered during the month.

Comptroller Haruna who stressed the consequences of continued importation and consumption of unauthorized products in the country regretted that such products easily come in because of their relative cheap prices which usually attract members of the public – especially the youth.

The Customs Area Controller who subsequently handed over the fake drugs to officials of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) through the Director in Edo State, Mr. David W. West in the presence of other sister agencies warned those still engrossed in the illicit act of smuggling, their collaborators and agents to desist forthwith in their own interest or be prepared to face the full weight of the law.

He questioned the reason behind the continuous smuggling of contraband goods despite stiff penalties for culprits arrested and advised well meaning Nigerians with useful information about smugglers to make them available to relevant government agencies for necessary action.

He said that the NCS in pursuance of the policy of zero tolerance to corruption by the Federal Government would ensure that there is no hidden place for smugglers because “Zero tolerance to corruption is now on and which is being pursued with vigour by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd.)