Customs’ FOU Zone C Owerri Intercepts Contraband, Unregistered Products

By Bon Peters

The Federal Operations Unit Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Owerri, Imo State, has intercepted contraband and unregistered products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N5.5 million.

At a media briefing in Benin City, Edo State, the controller of the zone, Mr Balogun, said his team has continued to work strategically together in carrying out its constitutional mandate.

In a statement issued on Thursday, he said officers and men of the unit “have exhibited the highest level of professionalism and relentless efforts in the implementation of government fiscal policy by enforcing the provisions of the NCS Act 2023 as it relates to Import, Export, Revenue Generation, Security of lives and properties in the nation’s borders of the South-South and South-Eastern States.”

Giving details, he noted that the items arrested for investigation included dry salted donkey skin made up of 3,022 pieces packed in sacks, used tyres, used clothing in bales and bags, bags of foreign parboiled rice in 50kg and 25kg, foreign wine in cartons without NAFDAC registration number, foreign cosmetics, 58 cartons without NAFDAC registration number.

He listed the other items as foreign Geisha brand in cartons, bags of woven empty 50kg sacks loaded, two used trucks, Mercedes trucks, a Scania truck, one used Toyota Tundra SUV and one used J5 bus, among others, with a DPV of N505.5 million.

On inter-agency collaboration, Mr Balogun hinted that the seized Cannabis Sativa would be handed over to the NDLEA, and the Medicament to NAFDAC, while the animal skin would be given to NESREA.

He called on “our traders and stakeholders to be compliant, as our officers are professionally trained to checkmate the activities of non-compliant traders and block likely areas of revenue leakages,” commenting the media for its effort in making sure that the anti-smuggling activities, innovations and the giant strides of the unit and the NCS.

Mr Balogun urged all well-meaning Nigerians to support the agency with necessary information and intelligence that could assist it in curbing the smuggling of illicit goods and substances into the nation.