Black Christmas: Federal Operation Unit Owerri Impounds N12m Frozen Poultry

… As Oyo  Customs Command Intercepts 11 Vehicle- Loads Of Of Hemp
Officers of Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘C’ Owerri yesterday intercepted a Mercedes truck loaded with 1,300 cartons of imported frozen poultry products, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N12,400,000 on Benin-Ore Expressway, effectively denying expectant Nigerians the sumptuous ‘contraband’.

Abdusalami Hassan displaying the hemps

Concealed with Polymers Vinyl Chloride (PVC) sheets and ceramic bath tubs only two days before the Christmas day, the FOU, an anti smuggling arm of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) snatched the item, just as another crack team of Customs Officers of the Osun- Oyo Command, Sunday night, at about 11.45pm,  20th December, 2015; intercepted and arrested 11 fairly used vehicles, fully loaded with bags of Canabis Sativa (Indian Hemp), foreign rice and other general goods along Eruwa axis in Oyo State.

The cars used in conveying the hemps

Speaking in respect of seizure- development on the Owerri axis, the FOU Boss, Comptroller David Dinka who had earlier promised a bleak Christmas for illicit traders in the area, revealed a total 31 seizures which included 21 vehicles between 1st December to date with DPV of N118,190,217, with 23 arrests made ,out of which 22 cases are now pending in different courts within the Zone ‘C’ axis.
Dimka who decried the incalculable harm being inflicted on the nation’s economy as a result of unabated smuggling of prohibited products into the country, warned those still engrossed in the act to desist forthwith or  have themselves to blame if arrested.
“We will continue to make this Zone very very hot and uncomfortable for smugglers to remain in business and we are not mincing words about this”, he highlighted, noting that, the one suspect arrested in connection with the smuggling of the imported frozen poultry product was presently undergoing interrogation for further prosecution in court.
He stressed that the NCS was trying to ensure that it does not give any chance to smugglers until they are brought to their knees, warning “a word is enough for the wise.”
The destruction of the seized imported frozen poultry products was later carried out in the premises of Customs House Benin, and was witnessed by the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp, Department of State Security, NAFDAC, and the press.
Dimka expressed delight at the desirable and cordial synergy between the NCS and other sister agencies such as the Nigeria Police, State Security Service (SSS), Nigerian Army, National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the fight against smuggling and expressed optimism that this would continue to grow from strength to strength.
The Area Controller affirmed that the determination of Nigeria Customs Service to reposition itself for greater challenges remained unstoppable, as he recalled the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd.), repeated warnings that smugglers operating in the country must be brought to their knees.
Dimka left no one in doubt that all suspects arrested in connection with smuggling activities who were on bail, were still not free until the determination of their cases in court; as those found to have contravened the law would be jailed.
Meanwhile, the Osun-Oyo Customs Command has denied regular supply of hemp to hardened smokers as the command snatched 11 vehicle-load of Canabis Sativa, along the Eruwa axis, Sunday night.
Ironically, this came on the heels of five trucks load of 3000 bags of smuggled imported rice, whose importers had attempted to evade duty payment.
“This is keeping to our stand that there is no going back with duty payment on rice imports from the land borders and there is no hiding place for smugglers within the Oyo/Osun Command area especially during this Christmas season”, declared the Acting Area Command boss, Comptroller H. Abdulsalam.
He indicatedthat while the Indian hemp is to be handed over to the Oyo State NDLEA Commander, Mrs. Omolade Faboyede for further investigations after this press briefing to enable further investigation, while building on the robust relationship between the two other organizations, he would pursue the case of rice smuggling and other duty evaders, to its logical conclusion.
“I use this medium to assure all genuine and patriotic importers of our support via trade facilitation while the recalcitrant ones will either repent or face the wrath of the law”, Abdulsalam concluded.