The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, says it intercepted contraband goods with a duty paid value (DPV) of N165.3 million in February.

The area controller, Joseph Adelaja, disclosed this in Ibadan on Friday while briefing journalists on the command’s achievement for February.

Mr Adelaja, who assumed duty on February 7, said the area command intercepted and seized several high-profile smuggling consignments.

He listed the seizures to include 1,043 bags of foreign rice of 50 kg, 452 pieces of used tyres, two bales of used clothes, and 233 kegs of 25 litres each of petrol.

“The interception and seizure of these prohibited and uncustomed items have prevented the illegal inflow of products that undermine local industries, particularly rice farmers and manufacturers in the region.

“The interception of prohibited foreign parboiled rice has led to the increase in production and consumption of the local rice in Oyo and Osun States, respectively,” Mr Adelaja said.

He reiterated the command’s commitment to its core mandates of revenue collection and anti-smuggling operations.

The controller said the command recorded N2,048,487,969 as revenue for February, explaining that this reflected the efficiency of the command’s officers and men.

According to him, the area command has made significant strides in curbing smuggling activities, safeguarding the nation’s economy, and protecting local industries from the harmful effects of illicit trade.

“These remarkable achievements have been made possible through the unwavering dedication, professionalism, and cooperation of officers and men of the command,” he said.

He added that the command had significantly reduced tax evasion by adopting advanced technology, such as the deployment of improved data analytics.

Mr Adelaja said this had enabled the command to monitor trade flows and identify discrepancies effectively.

The area controller acknowledged that partnership with other security agencies facilitated the exchange of intelligence, allowing joint operations to dismantle smuggling networks in the region.

(NAN)