CGC Strike Force, Zone ‘A’ battles against smuggling through water-ways

The Nigeria Customs Service CGC Strike Force, Zone ‘A’ has taken a new dimension considering the recent onslaught against economic saboteurs within the zone. It has become the battle against smuggling and it’s vices by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs Yahaya B.U.

According to the report made available to The New Experience Newspaper, the unit intends to have its dragnet spread to the waterways where smugglers seem to be having sway in their illegal trade with the recent rice seizure haul recorded by the Force which is termed unprecedented.

DC Yahaya disclosed to The New Experience Newspaper that the unit impounded about five (5) truck-load of contraband 50kg rice products along Alibaba Street at Iyana-sash waterside in Agbara

-Badagry axis on the 30th of June, 2019. The seizure operations which according to him was led by Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Esiet was made possible by the vibrant information network of the unit.

Aside from one of the trucks with registration number AGL665XL which is a standard lorry size that was used in conveying the contraband rice products, other trucks with registration numbers AAA534DU, GGE427XU, LXR27XV were completely reconstructed and reinforced to withstand pressure as well as have the capacity to convey large quantities of smuggled goods and easily access the marshy terrain.

The quantities of the seizure are however not ascertained as at the time of this report.

Meanwhile, The New Experience Newspaper gathered that the Zone’A’ Strike Force led by the no-nonsense and resilient DC Yahaya had recorded a total of 68 seizures from its advent on May 14, 2019, the time he took over the mantle of leadership up to June 30, 2019.

In the overall performance report of the unit under the period in review, a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizure items is put at N118, 154,708.00.

In the breakdown of the seizure, a total quantity of 6.580 (50kg) rice seizure with N87,202,108.00 DPV was recorded, along with the seizure of 1,292 kegs of 25 litres vegetable oil with N12,209,400.00 DPV was recorded in the same period under review.

Similarly, 1, 607 cartons of Foreign Poultry products with N15,427,200 DPV were as well apprehended by the zone ‘A’ strike Force and 17 bales of second-hand clothing with 1,224,000.00 DPV, plus two (2) vehicles which include one Peugeot and a fiat bus with a total of N2,092,000.00 DPV.

However, the total DPV of the seizure items in the period of  47days under review is N118,154,708.00

DC Yahaya, however, appealed to smugglers and economic saboteurs still operating within the zone to have a rethink, and obey government economic policies and join hand with customs in building a nation of our dreams. He, however, warned unwilling and unrepentant smugglers and economic saboteurs within the zone against their illegal operations, noting that his officers and men are battles ready to take them out of business.