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Tag: customs

  • Customs seizes imported 1,100 rifles at Lagos Port

    Customs seizes imported 1,100 rifles at Lagos Port

    Customs announced yesterday another shocking discovery  – 1100 rifles – in Lagos.

    The guns, concealed in a 20-foot container with number GESU2555208, were seized by the Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Customs Command,  Mr Bashar Yusuf .

    The importer declared the prohibited items as wash hand basin and water closets. But after the suspected container was transferred to the Enforcement Unit of Tin-Can Command and   examined, the items inside the container were found to be guns.

    Speaking with reporters in Lagos yesterday, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hameed Ali (retd) said the guns were shipped into the country from Turkey.

    Col. Ali told reporters that a senior officer of the service who allegedly authorised the cutting of the seal on the container and one of the clerks working in the terminal where the container was discharged  have been arrested. They are undergoing investigation.

    A Vessel, MV Bella Shuttle, Col. Ali said, brought the 600 Jojef  Magnum Pump Action Rifles,  300 Jojef  Magnum Silver Pump Action rifles and 200 Jojef  Magnum Plastic Single Barrels Hubting gun pump action rifles into the country.

    The seizure, the Comptroller-General said, is the third in eight months. He praised the “dedicated officers and men” for their triumph over those who “do not wish this country well”.

    Ali warned that any Customs officer involved in the release of suspected containers would, henceforth, be arrested, paraded the way the police parade suspected criminals and charged to court.

    “The audacity of these criminals to think that they can succeed in smuggling such quantity of weapons into the country calls for all-round responsibilities. Shipping agencies and terminal operators must wake up to support the Customs to nip in the bud attempts to smuggle such dangerous items into the country.

    “As you may already be aware, the previous cases of 661 pump action rifles from Apapa and 440 pump action riles from this command seized earlier in the year are already in court. W.e look forward to justice being served to deter other would-be arms smugglers.

    Ali described the seizure as a testimony that a well-reformed and intelligence driven Nigeria Customs Service “will better serve the interest of the nation”.

  • ‘Customs not selling exotic cars via e-auction’

    ‘Customs not selling exotic cars via e-auction’

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been urged to upgrade its e-auction platform and sell all the seized exotic cars to the public to make more Nigerians key into the system.

    Some intending buyers who spoke with The Nation yesterday, said they were  still finding it difficult to benefit from the process.

    One of them, Mr Folagbade Adeyemi, a banker  urged the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to ensure that the commercial banks no longer find it difficult to hook up to the https.app.trade.gov.ng/eauction platform launched July 3.

    Adeyemi also said there was need for the Service to be more transparent in the number of vehicles it is putting up for auction.

    Nigerians, Adeyemi said, are aware that the service impounded 37  brand new exotic vehicles estimated at N1.3 billion after bursting a smuggling ring recently, and wondering why the vehicles have not been put up for sale to Nigerians.

    “Nigerians are aware that the CGC said the seizures were made by officers and men of the Federal Operation Unit ( FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja and the CGC Compliance Team in Lagos.

    “The vehicles, according to the reports we read in the papers,  include eight Lexus Jeep -LX570, 2017 model; 12 Land Cruiser Jeep-GXR, 2017 model and 17 Toyota Hilux of 2016, 2013, 2012, 2012, 2011 and 209 models.

    “Nigerians are expecting the Service to put these vehicles on their platform so that people would be able to show interest or is the Service telling us that the vehicles are not for sale or meant for special people?

    Also, Dr Ayo Olufowobi said another 27 exotic cars  seized by the FOU should be sold to the public in line with the transparency and accountability campaign of the government.

    “The vehicles comprise Toyota Prado, Toyata Hilux, Toyota Highlander, Mercedes Benz and other classic vehicles with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N228,215,429.

    “These are the type of vehicles we are expecting to see on the platform to take the service seriously,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the NCS yesterday said it has delisted 197 Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) of fraudulent bidders from its e-auction platform.

    Its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Joseph Attah, who disclosed this to The Nation in  Abuja, said the NCS has generated N161,194,908 into the federation account from the exercise that has recorded 4,764 bidders among whom 4,345 e-wallets were enabled or recharged.

    According to him, since July 3, when the electronic platform was launched, the NCS has recorded nine windows of 48 hours each.

    Attah said: “From these nine windows, a total of 649 winners have emerge so far. And this process has already generated N161,194,908 to the Federal Government account. Statistics shows that a total of 4 764 people registered and that those who were able to recharge their e-wallet and were properly enabled were 4,345 persons.”

    He said the initial challenges that were recorded in the exercise have been overcome as the fourth edition of the process has been seamless.

    On the complaints associated with the exercise, the PRO said: “The first complaint was that it was only one bank. Eventually, all the banks have come in. And that has been dealt with.  Then we noticed some criminal tendencies, where people arrange with themselves and somebody will bid and another person will bid bogus and unrealistic figure. The intention was that after you win, you won’t go and take it so that your friend who is the next bidder will take it.

    “That has been taken care of because the system has been reconfigured in such a way that there is a certain amount you cannot bid beyond. If you bid a bogus amount, it will not even accept it. So that has been dealt with.

    “The second highest bidder option which was a motivation for that practice has been jettisoned. If you win and you are not able to pay within five days, we take it that you are not a serious person and therefore we just deactivate your TIN from the platform.”

  • Customs intercepts 1,398 rolls of military uniforms at Lagos port

    Customs intercepts 1,398 rolls of military uniforms at Lagos port

    THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday intercepted 1,398 rolls of plain military uniforms and camouflage at the Lagos port.

    The items were intercepted at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT), Port Express, Apapa, by its Area Comptroller, Mrs. Lami S. A. Wushishi.

    Mrs. Wushishi,  while briefing reporters, said the items were illegally shipped into the country on July 14 from China.

    Two suspects, she added, were arrested in connection with the prohibited items.

    Security sources told The Nation that there are about 50 yards in a roll of the plain military uniform and that the 1,398 rolls in the container can be used  by over 13,000 persons.

    Mrs. Wushishi said the items were concealed in a 40ft container with registration number ECMU 9239436 and were allegedly imported by Musbarth  Integrated Logistics Ltd of 163, Sky Memorial Complex, Zoo Road, Kano.

    The Area Comptroller said the plain military uniforms, which were mixed up with other items, were discovered during routine examinations and checks.

    She said:  “It is the practice that when we have military wares, they are normally imported by military officers and they will write a letter to our headquarters to that effect. When the goods come, they are always on ground to receive them without paying duty.

    “But in this particular, the items were declared as 200 packages of Thread Take Up Can and 150 packages of  polyester material.

    “It was during the examination that we discovered that the items inside the container were 732 rolls of plain Army uniform, 666 rolls of plain military camouflage, 129 roles of polyester and five bags of polyester.

    “When you look at the list, one tends to suspect foul play. Moreso, the person that brought the prohibited items only used the 129 rolls of polyester as decoy to deceive our men, hence the need to do a thorough check on the consignment.”

    Considering the security challenge in the country, the Customs chief said the plain military uniform and the camouflage  could be used to wreak havoc in any part of the country. She noted that terrorists and other criminals now dress like solders.

    “Although, we invited you here to witness the handing over of the seized items and the two suspects to the Department of the State Security (DSS), but we always tell them that they should not come to our ports because we have our officers and men on ground to deal with the unusual situation.”We have issued series of warning that any illegal trader should not come here  because we have the entire wherewithal and intelligence readily available to discover this type of things.”

    Mrs. Wushishi said the Comptroller-General, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) has warned them to be extra-vigilant at the ports because of the activities of the criminals.

    The items and the suspects were handed to DSS operatives at the event.

    DSS Intelligent Officer  Iliya James Dickson represented the department.

  • Customs, importers quarrel over seized containers

    Customs, importers quarrel over seized containers

    Is it proper for Customs officers to seize containers shortly after being cleared by their colleagues at the Lagos Ports? This is the puzzle importers are asking the government to unravel following what happened at the ports last week.

    Some cargoes were said to have been seized at the ports’ gates after being cleared.

    The importers are claiming that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja is carrying out such operation in defiance of a presidential directive dismantling all illegal checkpoints nationwide.

    Besides, the FOU, they allege, is violating a circular by the Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG) on Enforcement and Investigations, A. Dangaladima, stating that only the two check-points at Agbara and Gbaji on the Lagos-Badagry-Seme Road were approved.

    The circular reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby emphasised that checkpoints mounted outside 40km to the border are illegal while information patrols outside this point should not last more than 24 hours at any given time.”

    “The 40km radius applies to the borders and consequently there should be no checkpoints within the port areas.

    Importers and truck drivers have accused the FOU officials of  ”non-compliance”, “extortion of money” and “second clearing”, but the unit says it is doing its job.

    “We are complying with the directive. But if we get information that there was manipulation in the document presented for the release of the cargo from the port, our officers will go there and intercept the item because of the security situation of the country and the affected officer will be asked to report to FOU and subsequently to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja,” FOU Public Relations Officer (PRO) Joseph Attah said.

    FOU officers are mounting checkpoints a few metres away from the ports, and stopping truck drivers for another clearance.

    Some of the officers, the importers allege, demanded between N100,000 and N150,000 and, at times, more from them.

    Last week, about 25 officers in mufti and others in uniform with three operational vehicles were at the Leventis Bus Stop, close to Ijora Bridge, stopping container-laden trucks released from the port and compounding the Apapa gridlock.

    On Friday, another set of Customs officers was at Mile 2, stopping containers.

    Importers and drivers have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and Customs Comptroller-General Col Hameed Ali (rtd) to call the FOU officers to order.

    Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) President Prince Olayiwola Shittu said the FOU officers had no right to seize containers on the road leading to the ports.

    He said: ”The directive from the Federal Government and the Customs Headquarters is very clear that there must not be checkpoints within the port areas. So, what are they doing very close to the two bridges leading to Tin-Can and Apapa ports? They’re staying there shows that some of them are not interested in the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government but their pockets.

    “We hope the President and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will call the FOU officers to order and see to the full implementation of the initiative on the ease of doing business within the country.

    Also, an importer, who asked not to be named, alleged that his truck was stopped by FOU officers at Leventis Bus Stop in Apapa. He claimed that they money from him before allowing him to go.

    A top Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) official said the Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, had advised the Customs to map out strategies that would ensure that only certified goods were allowed to leave the ports by its officers. He wondered why a Customs officer would release a cargo from the port only for another to intercept it a few meters away from the port.

    “Who released the goods? Why must a Customs officer release the cargo from the port in broad day light and another officer would say the owner of the goods or the truck driver has questions to answer,” the official said.

    ANLCA’s Public Relations Officer Dr Kayode Farinto accused the officers of violating the ban on checkpoints in port areas because of what they gain from it.

    He said if an importer disobeyed any law, he should be stopped by the superior mechanism put in place by the Customs, from taking the goods out of the port.

    Describing the allegations as untrue, Attah said the unit’s operation was more of intelligence-driven, adding that its operatives could only impound containers that were wrongly released from the ports.

    FOU officers, Attah said, had the power to intercept any container that flouts the government’s fiscal policy.

    He said: “FOU is an enforcement unit of the Nigeria Customs Service and our job is to complement the efforts of every Customs command in the zone.”

    The motive, he said, is to ensure that no importer or clearing agent succeeds in short-changing the government.

    He appealed to Nigerians to give the unit information that could lead to the arrest of fraudulent importers.

  • Customs arrests FUNAAB’s driver for alleged cannabis smuggling

    The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday intercepted a bus belonging to the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB) for allegedly conveying Indian hemp (cannabis sativa) through the border.

    The command said its operatives also arrested the driver of the bus.

    The state’s NCS Comptroller Sani Madugu addressed reporters in Abeokuta, the state capital, on the arrest.

    He said NCS operatives intercepted the coaster bus, marked FUNAAB 50 B-100 FG, with 211 parcels of cannabis made into book sizes and concealed in rice bags.

    Madugu said the driver, Abolade Bolaji, was caught at Imeko border town of Ogun State while allegedly smuggling the illegal drugs into the country.

    The Comptroller handed the suspect and exhibits to the state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.

    NDLEA State Commander Bala Fagge hailed the NCS for the feat, saying the cannabis recovered from the suspect weighed 295.4 kilogrammes.

    But FUNAAB, through the Head of the Directorate of Public Relations, Mrs Emi’ Alawode, said it remained a law-abiding institution.

    The university pledged to carry out a thorough investigation on the incident to ascertain what happened.

    It said: “As a responsible and law-abiding organisation, the (FUNAAB) in Ogun State is committed to upholding statutory enactments guiding its establishment, subsisting legislation in Ogun State and the nation. This uncompromising and non-negotiable stance have always and severally been hammered to bona fide workers and students of the university.

    “However, the attention of the university has been drawn to an unfortunate incident that was said to have occurred on August 12, in which one of its drivers, using the university’s official vehicle in his possession, was said to have been apprehended at Olorunda in Ogun State by law enforcement agents for alleged possession of substances suspected to have been smuggled.

     

     

  • Customs seeks forfeiture of N50m goods

    Customs seeks forfeiture of N50m goods

    The Nigeria Customs Service Board yesterday applied to the Federal High Court in Lagos, for an order forfeiting various illegally imported goods valued at N50,151,606 to the Federal Government.

    The agency’s Assistant Legal Adviser, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Shehu Bodinga, brought the application via an ex parte motion before vacation judge, Justice Abdulaziz Anka.

    The goods, including loads of fairly used clothes, shoes, bags, bed sheets, porcelain plates, 7,163 bags of foreign parboiled rice, and 147 jerry cans of vegetable oil, were said to have been intercepted between April and June, 2017.

    Others are seven vehicles which values were, however, not stated.

    According to him, after the goods were intercepted and seized, their owners refused to show up to claim them.

    The lawyer said there was an urgent need to order the forfeiture of the goods because some of them are perishable.

    He told judge that the Customs had been ordered by The Presidency to distribute some of the seized items to victims of the Boko Haram insurgency living in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the North-East.

    In a 15-paragraph affidavit, Bodinga said the goods were imported in breach of Section 46(c) of the Customs and Management Act.

    In some cases, he added, the importers and their privies attempted to evade duty on the goods or the items they brought into the country were prohibited by law.

    He said: “Apart from acts of fraudulent evasion of duty, some of the defaulters brought in outright unlawful and prohibited items, which are so classified by the Customs laws and regulations.

    “I verily believe that because of the severity of the punishment and sanction attached to the offences, the defaulters, along with their collaborators, have refused and or failed to come forward to claim the goods from the Nigeria Customs Service, thereby, abandoning same and same seized.

    “In order to prevent complete deterioration of the said goods and total loss of revenue to the Nigeria Customs Service, the board now intends to sell the goods either by way of auction, allocation or by any other procedure.

    “I verily believe that searches have been conducted in the court registry and there is no evidence of any court actions pending against the application in respect of the items, hereby sought to be condemned as forfeited to the applicant.”

    Justice Anka adjourned till August 17 for ruling.

  • OGFZA, Customs partner on service delivery

    The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) will work together for improved service delivery to clients in the nation’s free trade zones, the authorities of the two government agencies have said.

    Addressing a joint stakeholders’ forum of the two agencies in Onne, Rivers State, the managing director of OGFZA, Mr Umana Okon Umana, and the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), said their agencies were united by the collective objective of delivering best-in-class services to investors in the free zones in line with the Ease of Doing Business policy of the Federal Government.

    The stakeholders’ forum was organised to fine-tune a pathway to better service delivery in the free zones.

    Speaking at the forum, Umana said: “This conference is jointly hosted by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority and the Nigeria Customs Service to underscore the fact that the Ease of Doing Business initiative is a national policy under one government, by which fact all relevant agencies of Government are to work together in implementing the policy to deliver efficient services to the investor.

    “That is both the letter and spirit of the policy, whose   urgency   has   been reinforced   by   the   Executive   Orders   issued   by   the   Acting   President, Prof.   Yemi Osinbajo.”

    Umana added that agency cooperation for efficient service delivery under the one-government concept is operationalised in the free zones through the one-stop shop policy, which makes it obligatory for all relevant   agencies   of   government to work through OGFZA to optimise and expedite service delivery.

    “The point being made here is that the policy of efficient service delivery has to be   imbibed   and   made   a   way   of   life   across   all   agencies   of government,” he said.

    In his remarks, Col. Ali declared that the service was committed to working with OGFZA for the good of the nation.

    “We recognise the need to work with you and carry you along in our match towards evolving an efficient and responsive service,” the Comptroller-General of NCS said.

    Ali explained that full engagement with all stakeholders in the oil and gas trade is a requirement for the success of the industry.

    The forum, which drew participation from licensed customs clearing agents, free zone investors, relevant government officials and other stakeholders was highly interactive.

    It featured the presentation of technical papers on the Ease of Doing Business by Mr Adekunle Ajayi, OGFZA’s head of operations and technical services, and another paper providing the customs perspective on improved service delivery in the free zones by Abubakar Bashir, the NCS Comptroller in charge of the Port Harcourt Area Command, Onne.

     

  • Customs deactivate 160 over fraudulent bidding

    Customs deactivate 160 over fraudulent bidding

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said at the end of its fifth round of the ongoing e-auction bidding, it deactivated 160 Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) of fraudulent bidders.

    Speaking on the phone, the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, said the fifth round was smooth “because of the measures that we put into effect,” adding that it was yielding results.

    “We have deactivated over 160 TINs due to bogus and unrealistic bidding. Those measures of reprogramming the system we had seen a better bidding process at the end of the fifth bidding,” he said.

    According to him, at the end of the fifth round, the total amount generated from the e-auction was in excess of N52million.  While 353 winners have emerged from the exercise, he said the sxth round commenced on Monday.

    He said: “The fifth round produced 99 winners. So, when you add it up at the end of that fifth round, we had 353 winners. And we have generated over N52million.”

    He said 19 banks are now participating in the ongoing auction and that the previous challenges that were associated with the process at the beginning have now given way owing to the different measures that the NCS took to address them.

    The NCS Comptroller-General, Hameed Ali (rtd) had this year introduced the e-auction bidding process to contain the corruption and lack of transparency that characterised the previous analogue bidding system.

    Ali said:”In the past, stakeholders had accused the service of Nepotism, short changing the government of revenue through arbitrary auction fees to be paid by allottees and sundry corruption allegation against the service.”

  • Customs seizes smuggled N1.3b exotic cars

    Customs seizes smuggled N1.3b exotic cars

    •17 suspects held

    THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded 37 brand new exotic vehicles estimated at N1.3 billion after bursting a smuggling ring.

    Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) spoke on the seizures yesterday while addressing reporters at the Customs Training School in Lagos.

    He said the seizures were made by officers and men of the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja and the CGC Compliance Team in Lagos.

    The vehicles, according to Ali, include eight Lexus sports utility vehicles (SUVs) – LX570, 2017 model; 12 Land Cruiser SUVs – GXR, 2017 model and 17 Toyota Hilux of 2016, 2013, 2012, 2012, 2011 and 209 models.

    Ali added that his men also seized 12,081 bags of smuggled parboiled rice with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N149million.

    It was gathered that some of the smugglers used the number plates on some of the new vehicles as a decoy to beat Customs’ checks. But unknown to them, Customs officials had been monitoring their movement for days before swooping on them.

    Sources closed to the service said when some of the smugglers saw the Customs team on the unapproved routes, they abandoned the vehicles and jumped into the bush to evade arrest.

    The FOU Comptroller, it was gathered, employed credible information and community relation, including collaboration other security agencies, in bursting the smugglers.

    Ali said the service had not received any order from the Federal Government unbanning the importation of vehicles and rice through the land borders.

    According to the Customs boss, his men also confiscated huge parcels and sacks of Indian hemp with duty paid value of N12.7 million.

    The duty paid value of all seized items was over N1.6 billion

    Seventeen suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.

    Eleven of the suspects, it was learnt, were released on bail. Six are still in detention.

    “The 37 vehicles have a duty paid value of N1,374,122,679.00. Similarly, the 12,081 bags of smuggled parboiled rice have a duty paid value of N149,007,658.

    “Apart from the seizure of vehicles and rice, the reinvigorated anti-smuggling operations yielded another 156 assorted seizures including bales of used clothing, Indian hemp and used tyres that are inimical to the health of our people and our country.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government policies banning the importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders are still in force.  The Nigeria Customs Service remains resolute to work towards crippling smugglers and getting them out of the illegitimate business.

    “In the face of security and economic challenges, no responsible government will fold its hand while unpatriotic elements continue to engage in illegal activities that will further compress national economic and security well-being of her people.”

     

  • Customs generates N308m in July

    The Nigeria Customs Service of Niger, Kogi and Kwara Area Command generated about N308 million in July.

    Comptroller Benjamin Binga in charge of the three states disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna yesterday.

    Binga said that this was against the N219 million generated in July 2016, marking an increase of N89 million.

    He said that the increase was achieved based on the command’s zero tolerance against illegal activities.

    He said that the area command had put in place adequate working measures to prevent all forms of smuggling business in the three states.

    “We have identified and blocked all illegal routes  smugglers are using in our area of jurisdictions to prevent us from meeting our yearly target of N 2.8 billion,” he said.

    Binga called on officers and men of the area command to put in their best in their day to day activities, saying “hard working officers will be rewarded”.