Customs Intercepts Ammunition, Foreign Rice Worth N28.4m

Port Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML), Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted ammunition, foreign parboiled rice, washing machines, used tyres with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N28.4 million.

This was disclosed by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Tenny Daniyan, in a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP by the Customs Public Relations officer, Mohammed Yakubu, in Lagos, at the weekend.

According to Compt. Daniyan, the command also generated a revenue of N288.3 billion from January to 6th November,  2024 which is 34.8 per cent higher than the N213.91 billion realised from January to October, 2023.

Some of the items discovered are, 40ft container, No ACLU9664782 include: 2,598 pieces of used motor tyres, 12 pieces of used washing machines, 6 pieces of used fridges, 8 pieces of used motor radiator, 36 pieces of used Rim cover, 8 pieces of used rug carpets, two pieces of used mattresses, two pieces of used wash hand basin, two bags containing used clothes, shoes and bags.

Another 40ft container , No ACLU9810594 contained 56 bags of premium parboiled rice (45.4kg each), 18 bags of Riceland parboiled rice (22.68kg each), 15 bags of premium parboiled rice (11.34kg each), 20 bags of premium parboiled rice (4.5kg each), 18 kegs of soybean vegetable oil (15.87kg each).

Other seizures were: 12 rounds of 9mm Luger FC Black ammunition and one 9mm Luger live ammunition extracted from one used Mazda CX5, 10 rounds of NIM FC 30-30 blank ammunition, two rounds of 7.62mm x 39 AK hollow ammunition.

Three rounds of WCC NIM Luger 9mm live ammunition and Four rounds of C hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma, 50 rounds of 76mm live cartridges and 109 empty shells of 76mm, 70mm, and other calibres extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma and 51 rounds of 12GA Winchester live cartridges extracted from one used Lexus RX350.

Other seizures made this year include: One made in China SIGSAUER 1911 pistol with serial No: UO3130962526 extracted from one used Toyota Sienna One Glock 22 Austria pistol with serial No: KNT003 and 13 rounds of 9mm hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma , Five rounds of 12GA live cartridges extracted from one used Toyota Tundra.

Speaking on the N288.3 billion import revenue collected, the Customs boss said, the command broke the monthly revenue record in the month of October 2024 with a collection of N44.02 billion.

Comptroller Daniyan, while describing the October 2024 monthly collection as the highest in the history of the command, expressed confidence in the ability of his officers and men to surpass the record.

The Customs Area Controller attributed the command’s achievements to a combination of hard work by officers, compliance by port users and cooperation of sister government agencies in the port.

Comptroller Daniyan said: “We must rededicate ourselves to serving our country diligently, firstly as patriotic citizens and as customs officers with mandates to work for the development of our national economy.

“The comptroller general of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, have a lot of confidence in our ability to deliver excellently as officers with capabilities to use modern trade facilitation tools and platforms like the recently launched B’Odogwu platform, which is being deployed first in our command as a pilot area.

“As we work into the yuletide period, seeing to the end of 2024,let us continue sustaining two hours cargo clearance for compliant RoRo consignments, collect maximum revenue without compromising on diligent examination to detect concealment, under valuation and false declaration.”