The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, says it intercepted 473 smuggling attempts and recovered N5.5 billion in duty paid value (DPV) within eight weeks of intensified operations across the South-West.

The comptroller of the unit, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this on Tuesday at a news conference in Lagos, attributing the feat to enhanced surveillance, intelligence sharing and inter-agency collaboration.

Mr Aliyu said that key seizures recorded between February 3 and April 28, included 8,794 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to about 15 trailer loads.

He listed other seizures to include 3,340 parcels of cannabis indica, popularly known as “Ghanaian loud”, weighing 1,540kg, as well as 6.4kg of cocaine and methamphetamine with an estimated street value of N2.35 billion.

The hard drugs, he said, were intercepted in a Toyota Highlander at Elijah Bus Stop along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.

“Other items seized include 22 used (Tokunbo) vehicles, 1,188 kegs of vegetable oil, 31,705 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 328 bales of used clothing and 485 used tyres.

“Also seized were 1,863 used refrigerator compressors, 531 cartons of foreign poultry products, 69 cartons of foreign spaghetti and 24 bags of foreign sugar,” he said.

The comptroller further disclosed that operatives intercepted four cylinders of high-grade mercury concealed in a Toyota Avensis at the Gbaji outpost. 

(NAN)