Assorted contraband goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of eighty five million, six hundred and eighty-four thousand naira (#85, 684,000.00) have been impounded by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The goods which were intercepted and subsequently confiscated by the eagle-eyed officers of the unit on the Warri/Port-Harcourt Road, Enugu/Port-Harcourt, Onitsha-Asaba Road Express way were raked in barely twenty-four (24) hours after the unit has taken delivery of new patrol hilux vehicles from its headquarters, Abuja.
The Area Controller of FOU Zone ‘C’ Owerri, Victor David Dimka while briefing newsmen at the Abia/Imo command premises on Monday, 17th February 2014, disclosed the breakdown of the seizures as follows; one thousand, two hundred and thirty-three (1,233) pieces of used tyres were craftily concealed with 95 bags of saw dust in a mack trailer truck with Registration No. LXY 630 XC.
Another truck (Man Diesel) with Registration No: XC 425 DUD was found with 40 rolls of embossed flock fabrics; 46 rolls of cotton textile materials, 9 jumbo rolls of hijab materials in addition to 52 rolls of upholstery fabric (leatherine), 17 jumbo bales of assorted textile materials, 52 bales of used bed sheets and cotton materials as well as 22 bundles of printed wax and 10 rolls of polyester linen; just as another truck (Mack trailer) with registration no: KRD 557 XD was impounded for carrying two hundred and sixty-five (265) bales of second hand clothing.
Additionally, the FOU Zone ‘C’ Area Controller said that 66 rolls of upholstery fabrics , one used Toyota Sienna, one accidented Toyota space bus, 80 cartons of foil, 50 bales of second hand also fell into the hands of his men even as one Golf station wagon was equally impounded.
Of the seizures made, Dimka said that four suspects arrested in connections with the seizures are now helping his men in their ongoing thorough investigation as a prelude to their arraignment at the law courts. He vowed that his men would stop at nothing to get at those behind the shady deal and subject them to the full weight of the law so as to serve as a deterrent to other smugglers and those with the intent to indulge in the act of smuggling.
“Smugglers should desist from smuggling or we will get them arrested, seize their goods, and arraign them in the law court so that others will know that we are not playing”, this he said while warning intransigent smugglers and their collaborators to be mindful of the aftermaths of their actions if arrested.
He commended officers and men of the FOU Zone ‘C’ for their proven integrity, determination, devotion and commitment to duty to the seizures made, assuring that the unit is resolutely determined to see that smuggling is brought down to the barest minimal level.
In his words, “we now want to send the message clearly to smugglers that the game is up because we have said in the past that we are better trained and better equipped by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde Dikko and his management to do this job without fear of contradiction or favour. We want to say categorically that smuggling and smugglers have no place in zone ‘C’, we will go to all nooks and crannies to see that we fish them out.”
Furthermore, Dimka said that while efforts will be intensified to get to the owners of the seized consignments wherever they might be. “Here we match the talk by working the talk, we do the job as it is suppose to be done and that is why you continue to see these seizures coming in,” he added. Dimka finally warned those still in the act of smuggling to purge themselves from the illicit practices as his men would deal decisively with anyone caught in the act , no matter how highly placed he may be in the society.
No comments:
Post a Comment