Tag: customs

The Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 102 bags of plastic rice branded “Beat Tomato Rice’’ with no date of manufacture.
The Customs Area Controller of  F.O.U. Comptroller Mohammed Haruna,stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.
He said the commodity was stored for distribution as Yuletide gifts for the public.
Haruna said officers of the unit seized the plastic rice along Ikeja area on Monday, adding that a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.
“Before now, I thought it was a rumour that the plastic rice is all over the country but with this seizure, I have been totally convinced that such rice exists.
“We have done the preliminary analysis on the plastic rice. After boiling, it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed it.
“I advise those economic saboteurs who see yuletide season as a peak period for nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business.
“The unit has decided other operational modalities that will make them run for their monies and count their losses, ‘’ NAN quotes the controller as saying.
He described smuggling as a global phenomenon, adding that such act could not be curbed entirely but could be brought to its barest minimum.
Haruna appreciated well-meaning Nigerians who provided the service with prompt information that led to the discovery of the bags of plastic rice.
The controller, however, advised the media to educate the public on the existence of plastic rice, adding that it was no longer a rumour.
Haruna assured the public that the distribution point of the particular plastic rice seized by the unit had been blocked with immediate effect.
He said investigation was still ongoing.
The controller said the unit would handover the plastic rice to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for proper investigation.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday intercepted a truck belonging to a cement firm that was used to smuggle rice into the country.
The truck, marked KANO KMC-513YD, the General Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja Area Comptroller Aruna Mamudu said, was seized at Papa Lanto on Ifo/Abeokuta Expressway in Ogun State.
IBESE 13, ICT-13F-014 was written on the SINO truck.
The vehicle and its content are at the Federal Government Warehouse Ikeja, Lagos.
Customs sources told The Nation that the vehicle was carrying 4,000 bags of rice and undisclosed bags of cement.
A suspect, it was gathered, was arrested with the vehicle.
According to a source, 77 persons were arrested by the unit between October and yesterday. Seventeen have been charged to court and four convicted.
Between October and last month, the unit, Aruna said, also seized prohibited goods worth over N325million.
The unit also recovered N286,623,853 in duty payment and demand notices on vehicles and other general goods.
The items seized include vegetable oil, frozen poultry products, vehicles, Indian hemp and general merchandise.
“I have the management mandate to block revenue leakages, intensify anti- smuggling operations at land borders, sea ports and the airports within our jurisdiction.
“I advise economic saboteurs who see the Yuletide season as a peak period for their nefarious acts to desist from the illegal business as the Unit has devised other tactical strategies that will make them run or their monies and count their loses,” Aruna said.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday intercepted a 20-foot container of processed foods at the Lagos port.
The items were shipped into the country in a container marked PCIU 132867(4)2291.
The Customs Area Comptroller, Yusuf Bashar, told reporters that the 1,395 cartons inside the container were imported from India.
The items include egusi soup, beans, porridge, jollof rice with chicken and Fried rice.
There are 24 sachets in each of the carton and the net weight is 300grammes.
The name of the importer inscribed on the cartoon is Newcastle Foods Limited, 3/5 Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos.
The inscription on each of the sachet is: “Nau Nau, Good food, right now. Just heat and eat in 2m.”
The importer also wrote on each sachet that the items used in processing the food were “natural; “no preservatives and source of protein.”
The National Agency for Food Drug and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number written on the cartons is CI-8696
Bashar said: “This processed food has paid its duty. Our major concern is to protect our food industry. Protect the health of our nation and also to protect our foreign exchange.
“We know very well that it is very difficult to source foreign exchange now and the government has given opportunity to those who want to invest in food processing to do so in our country.
“Government has giver opportunity to Nigerians to import machinery for packaging of food, processed or agricultural products without paying much duty.
“Government is ready to give them all the support required where necessary. But in a situation where Egusi soup is imported from India in this form, to go into our various homes for consumption right away is bad.
“Nigerians now have the opportunities to bring in machinery at low cost to package the food here locally.
“To bring in these items that you just have to put direct to your table and eat when the recession is biting hard is not good for our country. What of if the imported items have dangerous substances. That means we are not only importing these items, we are as well importing diseases.
“If the importer is interested in packaging food, they should establish in Nigeria That is why we brought in NAFDAC personnel to hand over to them, for them to do due diligence.
“They have statutory responsibility to perform the task”.
A Deputy Director of NAFDAC, Mr Udockpo Ekpo who received the seized item said the agency would investigate on the matter.