A truck carrying Cannabis sativa with a duty-paid value of $516,000,000,600,000 has been seized by the Nigeria Customs Service’s Comptroller-General of Customs Strike Force Team Zone A near the Lekki axis of Lagos (N516,600,000).
The Coordinator of the Team, Sani Yusuf, who was recently promoted to the rank of Comptroller, credited his officers’ intelligence and bravery for the Seizures’ success, noting that it was not an easy task because the area where the Cannabis sativa were evacuated was surrounded by various types of people at midnight.
Sani Yusuf also gave a brief overview of the Team’s efforts in the year 2022, noting that the year was highlighted by a vigorous anti-smuggling campaign that was incredibly successful.
“225 mg of Tramadol, 100 mg of Sildenafil Citrate, Codeine cough medicine, used tires, bales of used clothing, bags of foreign parboiled rice, containers of wood, pangolin scales, slabs of donkey skin, and Cannabis Sativa were notable seizures made during the period under consideration. All of them have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N9,122,710,355 (nine billion, one hundred and twenty-two million, seven hundred thousand, three hundred and fifty naira).” Added Yusuf Sani.
Through demand notices (DN) from January to December 2022, the Team also documented a total of Five Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty-Three Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Four Hundred and Seventy-Seven Naira (5,843,520,477).
According to the report, “There was an increase of One Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty-Three Naira (N1,928,966,233) as against the sum of Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Fourteen Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-Four Naira (N3,91 As he said.
To all unpatriotic importers and their representatives who go above and above in defying the Nigeria Customs Service, he issued a stern warning. The Seizures will not only be seized, according to Yusuf Sani, but his ever-vigilant operatives will also arrange for the arrest of the Suspect so that they can face the full force of the law.
In order to achieve better in 2023 and beyond, our commitment is therefore reinforced. For this year, we have already reenergized our 24-hour operations, depending on our brave and knowledgeable officers to suppress smuggling and prevent income loss.
He praised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, (Rtd) CFR, for helping the Team accomplish its objectives by providing logistical assistance, and he thanked God for a victorious war in eradicating smuggling in 2022. “I also appreciate my officers for their persistent efforts to see that our mandate is carried out,” he continued. Additionally, he said.
