Nine Customs officers arrested, smugglers held over N1.35bn bullet proof vehicles

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Units, has arrested nine of its officers in connection with some goods illegally released at ports.

This was even as the Unit disclosed that it arrested six smugglers over N1.35 billion, 59 vehicles and other contrabands in the last one month.

It was revealed yesterday that five of the vehicles were bullet proof vehicles and were impounded at an Ikoyi car mart.

The Controller of the unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, said in Lagos that the contrabands were seized in less than one month.

He explained that the operatives of the unit trailed and evacuated 59 assorted vehicles from car marts in Ikoyi among which over 40 were 2017 models ranging from Toyota Prado jeeps, Lexus jeep, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Camry, Coaster buses, Toyota Hiace bus, among others.

According to him, the bullet proof vehicles require end user certificates from office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

He added that the vehicles had a duty paid value of N1.07 billion.

Uba further noted: “It is instructive to note that a total of six suspects have been arrested relating to these 120 seizures. The unit was able to recover N144.4 million from duty payment and demand notices on general goods that tried to circumvent the law at the seaports, airports and boarder station through wrong declarations.”

He listed  other seizures as including 10 trucks laden with 6,206 bags of parboiled rice in 50 kilogrammes bag each, 600 cartons of poultry products, 67 bales of  used clothes, 13 parcels of Indian hemp, 405 pieces of used tyres and 54 kegs of vegetable oil.

He stressed that some beer in bottles were used  to conceal rice in one of the vehicles, while another vehicle, a Dangote truck, used cement to conceal some rice.

The Comptroller noted that two containers were also seized for contravening Customs law.

Uba said: “One of the containers was laden with used fridges, 270 cartons of refined sun flower oil, 55 pieces of used gas compressors, 18 packs of juice and other items falsely declared in the Single Goods Declaration (SGD) form. The second container was carrying 147 bales of printed wax and 168 bales of lace material as against new electronics declared in the SGD.”

The comptroller added that another 40 feet container carrying prohibited items had also been detected.