Customs arrest 103 suspects for smuggling N7bn
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Federal Operations Unit, Area A, Nigeria Customs Service, said 103 suspects were arrested by the unit in connection with the N7.116 billion worth of commodities. contraband between January and June 2022.< /p>
The Acting Customs Area Comptroller in charge of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, said this during a recent address to reporters from the unit in Lagos on the sidelines of the review of its half-yearly activities.
Giving details of the seized contraband, he said: "They included: 45,928 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50 kg each, equivalent to 77 trailers; 265,830 liters of Premium Motor Spirit ; 2933 bales of used clothes; 233 cartons of Tramadol 225mg each and 83 packs of 225mg; 65 units of used vehicles; 14,784 pieces of used tires; 119 units of used motorcycles; 3659.o5kg of Indian hemp and 277 cartons of expired alcoholic beverages.”
He said that a total of N577. €853 billion was collected as income from underpayments during the reporting period.
Ejibunu also said that during the reporting period, one officer lost his life while 77 of the arrested suspects were released on bail. In addition, 16 of them were still in the unit's custody, he said.
He explained that some of the arrested suspects were released because he didn't want anyone to suffer for what they didn't know.
"We granted bail to approximately 77 of these suspects because we did not want anyone who was not a party to the crime to suffer for what they did not done. After proper and diligent investigation, if it is found that an individual has not contributed in any way to the smuggling, we release them. Those with questions to answer are approximately 16 and they are still with us.< /p>
“We have also arrested four tankers who will be investigated. They were carrying PMS and black oil. But from that level, what's happening now is diversion everywhere, pure diversion for smuggling purposes. I just mentioned that we were still investigating,” he said, noting that tanker drivers would sometimes dump fuel in the bush and run away on seeing customs officers.
The boss of the FOU lamented the lack of space for the seized goods. “The main challenge we encounter is the lack of space. If you want to confirm what I'm saying now, someone should go to our old correspondent's office. There, you will find that there is rice everywhere."
Please share this story:
Federal Operations Unit, Area A, Nigeria Customs Service, said 103 suspects were arrested by the unit in connection with the N7.116 billion worth of commodities. contraband between January and June 2022.< /p>
The Acting Customs Area Comptroller in charge of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, said this during a recent address to reporters from the unit in Lagos on the sidelines of the review of its half-yearly activities.
Giving details of the seized contraband, he said: "They included: 45,928 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50 kg each, equivalent to 77 trailers; 265,830 liters of Premium Motor Spirit ; 2933 bales of used clothes; 233 cartons of Tramadol 225mg each and 83 packs of 225mg; 65 units of used vehicles; 14,784 pieces of used tires; 119 units of used motorcycles; 3659.o5kg of Indian hemp and 277 cartons of expired alcoholic beverages.”
He said that a total of N577. €853 billion was collected as income from underpayments during the reporting period.
Ejibunu also said that during the reporting period, one officer lost his life while 77 of the arrested suspects were released on bail. In addition, 16 of them were still in the unit's custody, he said.
He explained that some of the arrested suspects were released because he didn't want anyone to suffer for what they didn't know.
"We granted bail to approximately 77 of these suspects because we did not want anyone who was not a party to the crime to suffer for what they did not done. After proper and diligent investigation, if it is found that an individual has not contributed in any way to the smuggling, we release them. Those with questions to answer are approximately 16 and they are still with us.< /p>
“We have also arrested four tankers who will be investigated. They were carrying PMS and black oil. But from that level, what's happening now is diversion everywhere, pure diversion for smuggling purposes. I just mentioned that we were still investigating,” he said, noting that tanker drivers would sometimes dump fuel in the bush and run away on seeing customs officers.
The boss of the FOU lamented the lack of space for the seized goods. “The main challenge we encounter is the lack of space. If you want to confirm what I'm saying now, someone should go to our old correspondent's office. There, you will find that there is rice everywhere."
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