5,020 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products with a Duty Paid Value of N30.1 million have been intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, Lagos State.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Mr Uche Ejesieme, in a statement on Sunday said that the poultry products were concealed in 2,016 packages of bottled water.
The statement quoted the Comptroller, Amade Abdul, of the unit as saying that the articulated truck carrying the items was intercepted on October 1 on the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway.
Abdul said that the Special Assignment Team from the Customs headquarters, led by an Assistant Comptroller of Customs, Mr Shittu Abdulmaruf, made the seizure while on patrol.
“The vehicle was immediately driven to the Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, where a 100-per-cent examination was conducted, which revealed the contraband.
“The unit would continue to confront smugglers,” Abdul said, adding that he had anticipated that smugglers might want to take advantage of the Eid el-Kabir celebration to perpetrate their crime.
He said that he had enjoined all the team leaders in his squad to adopt a pro-active approach in the fight against smuggling.
“The operational dexterity of the unit cannot be compromised, considering the need to protect our country from being a dumping ground,” he said in the statement.
Abdul said that a suspect was apprehended in connection with the seizure, adding that the suspect would provide useful information that would facilitate the prosecution of those found culpable.
He, however, warned that the NCS, under the current Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Colonel Hammed Ali, would not tolerate corruption.
“We have taken cognisance of the new order, we must work towards ensuring that the mission and vision of the Comptroller-General are actualised,” he said.
He acknowledged the efforts of the management of the NCS in providing patrol vehicles, arms and ammunition, while undertaking training and re-training of officers.