The Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ikeja, Lagos, has impounded 1,263 cartons of frozen poultry products and frozen fish valued at N9.97 million.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos by the Head, Special Assignment Team ‘C’ Ogun State Axis, Assistant Comptroller Almarof Shittu.
According to the statement, the team on Sunday, March 13, intercepted a Volvo truck, laden with suspected prohibited goods.
It noted that, “Shittu said that on physical examination, it was confirmed that the truck had 785 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products concealed with 478 cartons of frozen fish.”
The statement said that a patrol team led by Chief Superintendent of Customs Ismaila Umar, while on routine patrol along Sagamu-Benin Expressway, intercepted the Volvo truck during random checks on suspected vehicles.
“A casual search was conducted on the truck. Even though, the occupants had earlier told them (customs officers) that the truck was carrying frozen fish,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes the statement as saying.
According to the statement, the team is working in close collaboration with other anti-smuggling outfits in the zone to deal decisively with smuggling.
It said that Shittu expressed the determination of the team to tackle smuggling within the South-West.
The statement quotes the team leader as saying that the team is determined to dislodge smugglers in the zone through collaboration with the communities along the unapproved routes for information on smugglers.
“It is on the basis of this, that we request the support of patriotic informants to avail the service and the team with genuine information that can help us track them (smugglers).
“‘The task of eradicating smuggling within our domain remains the responsibility of all Nigerians and we must not renege on this responsibility.
“Posterity and history will not be fair to us if we fail to do the needful.
“We must realise that we have a duty to safe guard the economy from economic saboteurs who are bent in destroying our economy,” the statement quotes Shittu as saying.
The team leader promised to work in line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hammed Ali and his Management, anchored on integrity, transparency and accountability. (NAN)