Tag: Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

Owing to bogus bidding in the ongoing e-auction exercise of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), it has delisted 197 Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) of fraudulent bidders from the platform.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Joseph Attah disclosed this to The Nation in his officer at Abuja Tuesday.

He said that 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, from July 3 that the e-auction was launched, the NCS has recorded nine windows of 48hours each.

Attah said that “from these nine Windows, a total of 649 winners have emerged 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 told The Nation that the initial challenges that were recorded in the exercise have been overcome since the 4th edition of the e-auction the process has been seamless.

On the complaints that associated with the exercise, the PRO said that “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.”

He said that rice importation through sea has decreased drastically following the rise in the cultivation of rice in the country.

We believe that with the increase in locally produced rice we don’t need to advise the importers of rice to begin to think twice to either return home to start cultivating rice or reduce their amount of import instead of coming to sell at a giveaway price.”
Attah noted that in as much as we have Nigerians that are willing to consume the local rise than imported rice, it behoves on the importers to reduce their volume of rice importation.

His words: “We have more local production today than two years back. Local production is on the increase, more Nigerians prefer to eat the local rice to the foreign one. It makes economic sense for those into the importation of rice to reduce.”

…Arrests 17 suspects

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

Addressing reporters at the Customs Training School in Lagos, Tuesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hamed Ali (Rtd) 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 CG, 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 respectively,

Customs, Col. Ali said, also seized 12,081 bags of smuggled parboiled rice with a Duty Paid Value ( DPV) of over N149million.

Findings revealed 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 also said when some of the smugglers saw the Customs team along the unapproved routes, they abandoned the vehicles and jumped into the bush  to evade arrest.

The FOU Contoller, it was gatheref, used credible information and community relation that triggered synergy and collaboration with the people and other security agenies, assisting the Unit to fish out the smugglers.

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

Customs, Ali said, also seized, 130 parcels of 116kg each and 45 sacks of  450kg at 10kg each of Indian hemp with duty paid value of N12.7million.

The Duty Paid Value of all seized items is over N1.6billion

Seventeen suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures. 11 of the suspects, it was learnt, have been released on bail, while 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 has 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.

“NSC as one of the enforcement agencies of government will continue to work towards ensuring compliance with all extant laws governing imports and exports in our country.

“For those who use violence as instrument of intimidation, let it known that going forward, NSC operatives will not hesitate to use appropriate force to deal with any threat that is intended to obstruct performance of  our statutory functions,” Col. Ali said.

The CGC, while commending the Controller of FOU, Zone ‘A’ and the Comptroller in charge of the compliance team for effective collaboration and co-ordination of their officers to achieve the feat, he urged reporters to always use their medium to inform and educate the public on the effect of smuggling.