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Tag: smugglers

  • Militants, smugglers won’t be tolerated, Navy warns

    The Commander of the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, Commodore Vincent Okeke, has warned that militants, smugglers and oil bunkerers, will not be tolerated within his area of operation.

    Okeke spoke yesterday at the NNS Victory jetty after handing over 724 bags of foreign rice worth about N13 million and eight suspects to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    According to him, the suspects and items were arrested in two large wooden boats, popularly known as Cotonou Boat, on the Calabar Channel by his men on patrol.

    The Commander said they were heading for Akwa Ibom State from neighbouring Cameroon.

    He said: “We are handing them over as expected to the Customs for further investigations and prosecution. The message is clear. For this to happen shortly after my resumption means they want to test my will. I can promise them I am equal to the task. Militants, smugglers, bunkerers should all stay away. I will not tolerate any such thing in my area of operation.

    “Our work here is to make our waters safe. We have maintained 24 hours patrol along the Calabar Channel. I assure all well meaning Nigerians and seafarers that the water is safe for them.”

    The Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of Eastern Marine Command, Calabar, Gabriel Johnson, was happy with the relationship between the Navy and the Customs.

    He said: “We are elated about the relationship with the Navy. These waterways are not safe for any smuggler. We would work with the Navy to make sure they do not have their way.”

    According to him, there would be further investigation after which the suspects would be prosecuted and the bags of rice confiscated by the Federal Government.

  • Smugglers threaten CBN’s rice intervention, say processors

    LOCAL rice farmers have alerted of the dangers posed to Federal Government’s financing policy through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the activities of rice smugglers.

    The farmers, under the auspices of Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), lamented that over one million metric tons of rice (about 20,000,000 bags of 50kg or 34, 000 trucks of rice) have been smuggled into the country in the last three months.

    Their chairman, Muhammed Abubakar, told reporters in Abuja at the weekend that the government was losing a lot of money.

    He said: “Nigeria currently loses huge revenues, foreign exchange and jobs to this menace of smuggling while Nigeria rice processing companies are shutting down because of their inability to gain market access and more painfully millions of small-holder farmers are stuck with their paddy because the millers can no longer afford to buy from them.”

    He warned that if the menace of rice smuggling “is not tackled with appropriate dispatch, the magnitude of loss to Nigerian rice stakeholders, starting with the Federal Government, Integrated Rice Millers, funding banks, CBN, rice farmers, mill workers, rice consumers, etc. would be too devastating to cope with in an economy that is fledgling.”

    He urged the government to take urgent action “to avert eventual national food emergency by combating smuggling so that we can continue to grow our local rice industry and the economy.”

    Investigations, according to him, have, shown that “all our international borders have been converted to smuggler routes and our markets are filled with smuggled foreign rice.”

    To address the scourge, the RIPAN chair called on the government to immediately raid the various rice smugglers market, sanction officers and employees of government agencies saddled with responsibilities of curbing smuggling.

    He listed the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Agency for Foods Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), among others, as such agencies that have abandoned their enforcement duty but compromise their offices.

    Abubakar said: “These officers must be fished out and punished by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for economic sabotage.

    “Particularly, the government must fish out and punish multinational companies who play on both sides of the border; – those who actually drive the syndicates (the promoters).

    “It is absolutely vital for government to sustain the current drive for greater investments, strengthen the policy environment and continue to implement policies and strategies that grow local capacity and protect local value chain.”

    The rice processors appealed to the government to, “as a matter of urgent national importance, take strong diplomatic action with our neighbouring countries who allow parboiled rice into their country for final destination to Nigeria. The government may consider closing the borders for some time if diplomatic overtures fail.”

    They also called on state governments to build relevant agricultural infrastructure that permit more one season farming such as irrigation facility, rural access roads and electricity.

    He said the government should train and equip extension officers and agents so that they can provide quality training to the farmers.

    “Inadequate, well trained extension agents and poor farmers training or practical guidance on good agricultural practices are undermining farming practices in Nigeria,” he noted.

    He urged the government to deploy the funds from Rice Import Levy and long-term loans from multinational agencies to drive the rice production initiative.

    “Such funds can be effectively deployed and limited to areas of land clearing/development, irrigation mechanisation and improved direct credit to farmers. This will reduce farmers’ production cost and invariably impact paddy cost and millers output,” Abubakar said.

  • FRSC decries activities of smugglers in Ogun

    Idi-roko Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, has decried the activities of smugglers, which it described as a major challenge confronting its operations in 2018.

    Mr Olugbenga Farinloye, the Idi-roko Unit Commander of FRSC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ota, Ogun, on Monday.

    Farinloye said that most of the smugglers used motorcycles as means of transporting rice and sometimes rammed into other articulated vehicles from the opposite side in the process of avoiding FRSC officials.

    ”In any attempt for any enforcement agencies to try to arrest the smugglers along the Idi-roko axis had resulted to fatal accident that led to loss of lives and property,” he said.

    The unit commander said that the smugglers cultivated the habit of using unregistered plate number on their vehicles which made it difficult to identify when crime was committed.

    He said that the FRSC found it difficult to address the problem alone without the other relevant agencies because the corps was not armed.

    Read Also: FRSC recruits 4,650 personnel, begins training nationwide

    Farinloye alleged that some of the enforcement agencies along the Idi-roko axis could not arrest the hoodlums due to reason best known to them.

    He further said that he had visited all the relevant enforcement agencies like the police, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Department of State Services (DSS) but all proved abortive.

    Farinloye called on all relevant agencies to come together as a special patrol to form a task force to stem the menace of smugglers.

    ”There is a way we can collaborate to work as a team with all relevant agencies in tackling the activities of smugglers,” he said.

    He also said that FRSC had visited many places like Churches, Mosques, market places and paramount rulers, to sensitise them on why safety consciousness on the roads was a collective responsibility of everyone.

  • Kano/Jigawa Customs impound N76m contraband goods

    Smugglers have now devised a new method by using cows to smuggle contraband foreign rice into the country through porous borders as Kano/Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Customs on Monday paraded two cows, 27 vehicles, nine motor cycles and one tricycle used in smuggling various types of contraband consignments worth over N76 million.

    According to the Comptroller of Kano/Jigawa Customs Command, Nasir Ahmed, who briefed Reporters at the Kano headquarters, he said the Command between November 1 and 26, impounded 3079 of rice, 770 cartons of spaghetti, 17 bales of second hand clothes, 40 bags of foreign sugar and 101 jerry cans of foreign vegetable oil with duty paid value of N76 million.

    Ahmed said one suspect was arrested, adding that youths in the border town of Babura in Jigawa state have now indulged in using motorcycles to aide smugglers to ferry their smuggled goods through the bush paths.

    He, however, appealed to parents and traditional rulers in the community to warn their wards to desist from aiding and abating smuggling activities, adding that, “anyone caught by the anti-smuggling squad of the Customs risk being arrested and prosecuted.”

     He added that, “today we are here to show you the number of seizures we have made from the November 1 to November 26. This is made in consonance with the fact that the basic things we are supposed to do as Customs officers is to stop smuggling, we are here to facilitate trade and generate revenue.

    “These seizures are made possible with the assistant of the communities, the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), my officers on the patrol and the realization that we don’t have another country rather than Nigeria.

    “The only way we can do this is to stop smuggling of rice because a nation that is not sufficient in food cannot be said to be a nation. This is President Muhammadu Buhari is talking on food security. We cannot have food security when we want to engage in smuggling.

    “We tell the smugglers to try another business because we are here. We are not going away. We are not slowing down for them, we will always get them. Like I said before, we are not going to back down.”

  • ‘Smugglers lose N2.24b to Customs’

    The Federal Operations Units (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),  said it has intercepted various smuggled items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth N2.24 billion.

    The Area Controller of the command, Aliyu Mohammed, who made this known in Lagos, yesterday, said the items were seized within 30 days.

    He said the smuggled items include nine bullet-proof Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and 11,000 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, with an approximate DPV of N2.02 billion.

    He said that 28 suspects were arrested in connection with the 89 seizures between September 4 to October 3, while two bags of military uniforms were also intercepted.

    “The unit also recovered the sum of N220.03 million from Demand Notices (DNs) on vehicles and other general goods that had evaded full payment at sea and airports through false/under-declaration or transfer of value, bringing the approximate total to N2.24 billion.

    “The items include 22 exotic vehicles with an approximate DPV of N1.18 billion. These comprised four bullet-proof Lexus Jeep LX570 (2016), three bullet-proof Land Cruiser Jeeps (2016) and a bullet-proof Mercedes Benz G63 (2014) and S550 (2015).

    Mohammed listed a  three Toyota Hilux (2018), two Toyota Highlander (2018), a unit each of Toyota Rav4 (2015), Toyota Prado (2018), Toyota Land Cruiser (2016), Toyota Corolla, Toyota Fortuner (2017), Toyota Sequoia and Lexus RX 350, among others.

    He said some of the vehicles were intercepted at Ogere and along Ijebu Ode Expressway in Ogun State. The bullet-proof vehicles were trailed and evacuated from some private residences at Victoria Island based on credible information,” Muhammed said.

    He said within the review period, the command also seized 11,303 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice (equivalent of 18 trailers) and 2,410 cartons of frozen poultry products.

    Among the seized items were 853 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 245 parcels of Indian hemp, 4x40ft container of unprocessed wood, 2,017 bales of used clothing and 283 cartons of various pharmaceutical products without NAFDAC number.

    More so, Mohammed advised intending car buyers to verify the authenticity of the import and clearance documents with the appropriate Customs Area Controllers (CACs) at the seaports to avoid unknowingly buying smuggled vehicles with the inherent problems.

    He decried the high prevalence of smuggling along the Idi Iroko corridor in spite of the quantity and frequency of seizures over the past one year.

    The FOU Zone “A” boss, urged the public to join Customs in the fight against smuggling, considering its economic consequences to the Nation.

    He noted that politicians, in their bid to buy or reward patronage with gift items ahead of the 2019 elections, were also adding to the rate of smuggling even as the end-of-year festivities approach.

    Mohammed, however, commended the efforts of the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali and his management team for providing the unit with necessary incentives and logistics.

  • Navy seizes 1.2m litres diesel, arrest six suspected smugglers

    The Nigerian Navy in Bonny, Rivers, says it seized about 1.22 million litres of adulterated diesel from six crewmen believed to be smugglers.

    The suspects, who were arrested along the state waterways, were alleged to have smuggled the petroleum products, worth about N350 million from Lagos.

    Cdr. Ibrahim Gwaska, the Acting Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Bonny, presented the eight suspected smugglers, vessel and diesel to journalists on Monday.

    “The arrest followed routine patrols of one of our capital ships, NNS Okpabana, deployed on sea to stem crude oil, illegal bunkering and other illicit activities within the maritime environment.

    “In the course of such patrols, NNS Okpabana intercepted, MV Princehood, over the vessel suspicious movement along the sea.

    Gwaska said that troops, after boarding the vessel, found out that the vessel was laden with 1.2 million litres of diesel, suspected to have been lifted from unapproved refining site.

    He said preliminary investigation was immediately launched and that it was found out that the vessel loaded the diesel in Lagos and headed to NSDC terminal off Bonny before its seizure.

    “The vessel was later arrested on the grounds that her destination was inconsistent with what was captured on her manifest.

    “Also arousing troop’s suspicion was the fact that the quantity of petroleum product on board the vessel was inconsistent from what was declared by captain of the vessel.

    “We later found out that what was earlier declared by captain of the vessel was at variance with what was got after calibration test was carried out,” he said.

    Gwaska handed over the six suspected smugglers and vessel to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct further investigation and possible prosecution of the suspects in court.

    Read Also: Navy redeploys over 20 Rear Admirals

    The officer noted that the zero tolerance policy adopted by naval authorities had led to drastic reduction in oil theft, illegal bunkering and other illicit activities on the waterways.

    According to him, the navy has “upped its game” with new strategies and measures to deter criminals, especially as the ember months approaches.

    “The Nigerian Navy has stationed its capital ships on routine patrols at sea as well as set up lots of barriers on the hinterlands to discourage criminality.

    “We are not relenting in our commitment to rid the nation’s maritime environment of illicit activities, for legitimate social and economic activities to thrive.”

  • Truckload of army uniforms seized as Customs goes after smugglers

    The Imo-Abia command of the Customs has intercepted bundles of fake army kits in its latest crackdown on smugglers, reports OKODILI NDIDI

    Smugglers have since elevated their illicit business into an art. They review and update their tactics and strategies, finding fresh ways to keep in business even as security operatives nab them, seize or destroy their contraband goods or prosecute them. The payoff must be irresistible for them to remain in business.

    But Customs officers are not giving up. They keep chasing them. The latest effort of the Imo-Abia command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has yielded something to think about: a truckload of army uniforms and other gear presumably imported illegally and was being transported to destination.

    Not only do the activities of smugglers sabotage the nation’s economy, they also gravely threaten the nation’s security. The smugglers do not only import banned goods but also smuggle weapons and military wear which subsequently fall in the hands of criminal elements and terror groups.

    The Customs did not only intercept military camouflage in its latest onslaught; it also seized combat boots and other military kits with a duty paid value of N61,411,384.

    The 1×40 feet container, which also had on board other contraband goods used as a decoy to conceal the bales of the military camouflage, was intercepted along the Aba-Port Harcourt Road by Customs officers attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C.

    Three suspects, Emeka Omaliko, Udokachi Igba and Godwin Kalu were arrested in connection with the importation and clearing of the contraband.

    Parading the suspects and the impounded items at Imo/Abia Command Headquarters in Owerri, the Comptroller General of Customs, Hammed Ali, represented by the Zonal Coordinator Zone C, Assistant Comptroller General Sanusi Umar, said, “The arrest was another milestone recorded in our efforts to stem smuggling activities and to protect our national security”.

    He said that the importation of the military camouflage and combat boots contravenes schedule 4 (13) of ECOWAS Common External Tariff which falls under Absolute Prohibition.

    Umar disclosed that the Service has commenced thorough investigation into the case, stating that appropriate sanctions will be meted against everyone involved.

    According to him, “you will agree with me that criminals often disguise as military and para-military personnel and use such wears to deceive, rob and kidnap innocent Nigerians. The seized camouflage uniforms can comfortably serve a full-fledged four battalions of 1000 persons each and still have an excess of 400 sets”.

    He however said that the destination of the military wears is still unknown, stating that investigations were still ongoing to ascertain the purpose for the importation and those behind it.

    Giving further breakdown of the intercepted contraband, the Customs boss, explained that “the officers and men of the Command on the 19 of July intercepted 1×40 container with number MRSU 3040298 and on examination, it was found to contain 11 bales containing 400 pairs of new set of sewn military camouflage uniform each, totaling 4400 sets, 15 cartons containing 20 pairs of Altama combat boots”.

    Another landmark achievement by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ Owerri, was the impounding of 850 cartons of Tramadol, Indian hemp and other illicit drugs with Duty Paid Value of N379 million.

    The Customs Area Controller in charge of the Zone, Comptroller Ahmed Azarema, said that the seizures were made within two months.

    Not just the illicit drugs, which have been identified as being responsible for the increase in the rate of criminal activities across the country, the Customs Officers also intercepted contraband which includes bags of rice, used tires, second hand clothing and vehicles of different makes along the Benin-Owerri –Port Harcourt axis.

    Azarema, while displaying the impounded goods, disclosed that Customs operatives confiscated a Mack Truck with 582 cartons of Tramadol, and 258 cartons of Tygracildenafil with DPV of N21.462 million.

    Also confiscated according to the Controller, is a MAN Diesel Truck “with 98 cartons of Ibamol Drug (50 packs per carton), 22 cartons of  200 mg Tramadol, 15 cartons of 225 mg Tramadol and 250 mg (50 packs) of Tramadol  worth N11.862 million.

    “A Mack Mercedes Benz with 327 Indian Hemp valued at N11.445 million.

    Other items confiscated within the period under review include Lexus  ES 350, 2007 model, valued at N3,318 million, a Mercedes Benz G 500 Bullet Proof, 2001 model with DPV of N60,750 million, Toyota Hilux , 2016 model valued at N1,809 million and Toyota Prado  2015 model with DPV N23,402 million.

    Others were a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2014 Model worth N33,145 million, Mercedez Benz GLE 350 with DPV N25,199 million, Brand new Toyota Land Cruiser 2018 with DPV  of N37,999 million and Mercedez Benz C350 worth N4,955 million.

    “Toyota Highlander  2013 model worth N13.388 million, Toyota Highlander 2009 Model with DPV N4,957 million, Mercedes Benz Truck with 230 cartons of 22kg imported rice, six bales of used clothes with  a  DPV of N10,270 million and 30 cartons of Automatic Couple Head  valued at N61, 692”.

    Azarema revealed further that the seized drugs have been handed over to National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    He urged Nigerians to desist from smuggling or importation of contraband goods and engage in legal businesses, pay duties on imported items and save the country from leakages and boost her economy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The Customs boss observed with dismay that some Nigerians were still desperate in importing rice and other contrabands despite the implications on the nation’s economy.

    He said, “If you refuse to pay what you are supposed to pay as Duty to Customs, you are a smuggler”.

    Receiving the drugs, the Edo state Coordinator of NAFDAC, Mrs. Esther Itua commended the customs for the seizure, saying that the illegal use of tramadol leads to certain ailments and eventual death of the user.

    She said that the use of tramadol has remained a cause of concern to the nation and NAFDAC, adding that the strength of the confiscated drugs was far above the maximum dose always recommended.

    “This tramadol is an overdose and is also not registered with NAFDAC. Taking it will cause irregular heartbeat, cramps and death, among others,” she said.

     

  • Four killed as Customs, smugglers clash in Ogun

    No fewer than four persons were feared dead while six others sustained gunshot wounds yesterday in Ogun State as operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service and smugglers engaged in a shootout at Ilara, in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area.

    It was gathered the incident happened at the border town with the Republic of Benin at about 8.30am.

    Sources said trouble began when suspected smugglers while moving bags of rice in a convoy to Abeokuta, Ogun State, were accosted by a joint anti-smuggling patrol team made up of the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service and soldiers.

    It was said that as the soldiers and the Customs officers attempted to impound the contraband goods, the smugglers put up a stiff resistance, which resulted in an exchange of fire, leaving about four people dead and six others with gunshot wounds.

    The Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, confirmed the incident but he could not give the exact number of casualties.

    He admitted there was an interdiction between the Customs and smugglers at the Ilara border town yesterday.

    He said: “I learnt there was an interdiction between our men (Customs) and smugglers in Ilara border town when the smugglers wanted to move bags of rice in their vehicles out of the town to their receivers.

    “But I don’t have details of the incident but I will get back to you as soon as I am fully briefed.”

     

  • Customs arrest four suspected smugglers, intercept N53m contraband

    The Ogun State Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service, has arrested four suspected smugglers and intercepted 3, 041 bags of bags of smuggled foreign rice, 99 packs of Indian hemp, assorted vegetable oil and other items worth N53 million.

    Speaking with journalists at the Idiroko Customs Area Command on Wednesday, the new Controller of the  Command, Michael Agbara, said the seizures were made within two weeks of his resumption as controller of the command.

    One of the suspects, according to Agbara, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abeokuta, while others are still undergoing interrogation.

    Giving a breakdown of the contraband intercepted within the period under review, Agbara, said a total of 30 seizures including 295 kegs of smuggled vegetable oil, 221 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 24 smuggled second-hand vehicles and 14 bags of foreign sugar were also seized

    He noted that 99 compressed book packs of cannabis and three bales of second hand clothing were also seized from the smugglers.

    According to Agbara, the seizures were made within Abeokuta and Idiroko operational axis, adding that that he had engaged critical stakeholders in the state and neighbouring Republic of Benin, in a hid to create a synergy towards combating smuggling activities in the Command.

    He said: “I have met with critical stakeholders, including colleagues at the neighbouring Republic of Benin, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, and all heads of the sister agencies at the Idiroko border.

    Agbara said he had reduced the number of Customs checkpoints on the Sango-Idiroko Road, to engender ease of doing business for law legitimate and abiding traders conveying goods to various locations.

  • Customs cries out as smugglers machete officer in Ogun

    Customs cries out as smugglers machete officer in Ogun

    •Says criminals take officers’ arms for granted

    the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday raised the alarm as suspected smugglers severely cut the left arm of one of its officers in Ifonyintedo axis of Ogun State Customs Command.

    Its Public Relations Officer (PRO) Joseph Attah told our correspondent in Abuja the officer was attacked last Wednesday while in an operation to seize smuggled vehicles in the creek of the community.

    Describing the officer simply as an Assistant Superintendent, Attah said he was one of the operatives acting on the intelligence to prevent smuggling of vehicles through the creek.

    His words: “The case in point happened exactly at Ifonyintedo axis of Ogun State Command. There is a particular creek there.

    “Our operatives, based on credible information that some vehicles were being smuggled through the creek went there but only to be visited with violence.

    “Some of these smugglers pay some youths, arm them to hide in the bush and descend on our officers.

    “It was a life threatening injury that was sustained by this officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs.

    “His left hand was badly macheted very close to his shoulder. He is in the hospital where doctors are battling to see if they can save him from amputation.”

    He noted in situations as this, the law allows customs officers bearing arms to use reasonable force but criminals take the officers for granted since the management urged them to be cautious with arms.

    Lamenting, the PRO said that “a situation where somebody with a machete will move straight with somebody who is bearing firearm without the fear of being shot clearly shows that the exercise of caution on the part of the customs operative is being taken for granted.”

    According to him, the officers succeeded in apprehending the vehicles, which they took to a Customs station.

    He said that investigation into the incident has commenced.