The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone B of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kaduna, has seized a trailer conveying 37 bales and four rolls of Nigeria Police camouflage uniform.
The Comptroller of the Zone, Mr Chedi Wada, made the disclosure on Thursday in Kaduna while briefing journalists on seizures made by the zone in November 2023 and December 2023.
He said that within the period, the zone made 71 seizures of 12 different items at various locations.
He said that the items were of grave implications to the health and safety of Nigerians.
Wada said that operatives of the unit arrested the trailer following credible intelligence on the Lokoja-Abuja Expressway.
“It was suspected to be conveying prohibited items, and four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure,” he said.
According to Wada, the seizures were in fulfilment of the unit’s pledge to ensure full compliance with Federal Government’s directives on the closure of all land borders with Niger Republic.
He said that the seizures were critical considering the nature of the items and the possibility of utilising them for nefarious activities by unscrupulous elements.
Wada said, “The seized police camouflage uniform, the four suspects, together with the means of conveyance, were all handed over to the Director, DSS, Kaduna State Command, on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, for further investigation and possible prosecution.”
He said that the seizures made in different parts of the zone had a duty paid value of N406.9 million.
Wada, who gave a breakdown of items seized, said that eight used vehicles and two means of conveyance were among them.
Wada said that the unit also seized 195 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), 877 jerry cans (25 litres each) of petrol.
According to Wada, some other items seized during the period are 240 bales of foreign secondhand clothing, 10 jerry-cans of foreign refined vegetable oil (25 litres each).
Wada listed the other seized items to include 415 cartons of foreign spaghetti, macaroni and couscous, 349 cartons of foreign new shoes (unisex), 3,400 sachets of 500g of Amoxicillin and 35 cartons of flame lighter.”
The comptroller said that other items seized were hard drugs and other assorted goods, all worth N4 billion.
Wada reiterated the zone’s commitment to enforcing the Federal Government’s fiscal policies in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure.
”Our operatives are battle-ready to carry out the service’s mandate effectively,” he said.
Wada also assured the citizenry that the operatives were poised to end smuggling.
Wada also praised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adewale-Adeniyi, for support to the unit.
He thanked the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Service, the military, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, for collaborations.
Wada also thanked the mass media for support and objectivity in news reporting.
The comptroller called on well-meaning Nigerians to continue to provide relevant information to the Nigeria Customs Service.
”This is to further assist in combating smuggling for the benefit of the economy,” he said.
