“Customs Zone C Makes Record Seizure In July”

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

Determined to Combat smuggling to a standstill, the Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U) Zone ‘C’ of Nigeria Customs Service has recorded an unprecedented thirty-seven (37) seizures in the month of July within the South East and South-South states of the federation with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of two hundred and fifty-two million, one hundred and twenty-six thousand, eight hundred naira (N252,126,800.00)

The Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Dimka Victor David disclosed while briefing the newsmen in Owerri that thirty-six (36) out of the thirty-seven (37) seizures recorded, are vehicle ranging from Toyota Highlander, Infinity jeep, Lexus jeep and cars, BMW, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota 4 Runner among others.

According to him, this is an indication of an increase in the number of vehicles being smuggled in the zone within the period under review.

Dimka recalled that there was a similar increase of smuggling in rice about five months ago but was effectively tackled and the smuggling reduced to the barest minimum as well as that of imported frozen poultry products done earlier in the year.

Additionally, Dimka said that the influx of imported furniture, second hand clothing, foreign detergents and foot wears have equally been frontally tackled and also the smuggling reduced to the barest minimum.

Being die-hard criminals who will always devise other means to ruin the nation’s economy with their illicit business, Dimka stated that smugglers are now into smuggling of vehicles, but assured that his men have all it takes to neutralize their antics and also ensure that those apprehended do not go scot free with the smuggled vehicles.

He further assured that the unit will neither fold her arms nor sit on her oars and watch the smugglers sabotage the nation’s economy hence he resolved that even the car dealers will subsequently be compelled to present the vehicle clearing documents in their shops.

Dimka expressed immense gratitude to the Comptroller-general of Customs Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde, CFR for his sustained support to the unit, stressing that this has continued to spur officers and men of the unit to greater height in the performance of their statutory duties of fighting smuggling.

He therefore passionately implored members of the public with useful information bordering on smuggling to volunteer such information to the unit to enable them fish out smugglers from their various places of hibernation within the zone.