The Joint Border Patrol Team (JBT), Sector 2, South West Zone of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, announced the interception of contrabands worth N1.38billion.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the Coordinator of the JBPT, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Mohammed Shuaibu, stated that the prohibited items were seized between July and August, 2024 .
According to Shuaibu, the contraband seized by the unit include 4,019 Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS); 2,633 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice; 868 jumbo bales of second hand clothing; 790 pieces of Codine Syrup 100ml; 338 sacks of Artificial Razing; 135 sacks of Cabbabis Sativa; used footwares.
Others items are 77 sacks of ginger; 45 bags of Calcium Propionate E282 food addictive (20kg); 21 bags of 25kg foreign parboiled rice; 15 units of fairly used cars (means of conveyance); 5 units of fairly used released cars; 14 Trucks.
Shuaibu stated that 18 persons suspected to be trafficked were rescued while two suspected traffickers were arrested by the unit.
“The Federal Government in 2019 constituted the joint operation with the view to curbing smuggling activities and other cross-border crimes that threaten our national and economic security. The exercise has achieved tremendous success going by the number of interceptions of prohibited items, channeling of procedures, generating revenues through additional payments and auction sales with the proceeds remitted into the federation account.
“Together with the Nigeria Immigration Service being a critical component of the Joint Border Patrol Team, we intercepted 125 Person Refused Entry, 11 Person Refused Departure, 18 Trafficking in person and Two Suspected Trafficking Agents who violated Immigration laws and were immediately handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and prosecution.
“The Sector also recovered a total of N26.1million revenue through the issuance of Debit Notes (DN) on vehicles and other goods that were underpaid. JBPT Sector 2 is not relenting in its efforts of combating smuggling activities and illegal migrants that are undermining our national security.
“While the federal government is committed to ensuring the availability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to the citizenry. It is disheartening to know that some notorious smugglers are bent on smuggling the products to neighboring countries for their selfish gain. These groups of unpatriotic citizens will have us to contend with, as the Sector has deployed intelligence to apprehend offenders.
“The sector is fully prepared to face the challenge ahead as we are into the last quarter of the year 2024, we are enhancing our collaboration and the use of intelligence to contend with the possibility of more desperation from the smugglers.”
Shuaib, however, warned smugglers, saying the unit is taking proactive measures to tackling smuggling in the South-West region.
“We are taking more proactive measures by confronting them with increased vigour in line with the CGC’s marching order, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
“I want to use this opportunity once again to urge the smugglers to shun smuggling and avoid being lured into crimes with aim to making easy wealth,” he said.
Shuaibu also called on stakeholders such as traditional rulers, religious bodies and youth leaders to sensitise their subjects against smuggling activities which destroy the nation’s economy, undermined the nation’s security and transfer employment to other nations.
