The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, intercepted goods worth N671 million in October.

At a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos, the acting controller of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, said the goods were seized along the borders and port corridors within the South West zone.

He also said the unit recovered N42.3 million from the under-declaration of goods imported into the country in the period under review.

“This amount would have been lost to individuals if not for the diligent and meticulous documentary checks by officers of this unit.

“Eleven suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure and are at various stages of the investigation,” he said.

He listed the seized items as 7,403 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice, 53,759 litres of petroleum motor spirit, 121 cartons of frozen poultry product, 724 bales of used second-hand clothing, and three units of used motorcycles.

Mr Ejibunu added that the unit also seized 97 pieces of used tyres, 162 (96kg) parcels of Indian Hemp, 11 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil, 13 units of used fridges, and 3,116 pieces of cutlasses.

Other items, he said, include 700 rolls of cigarettes, 23 cartons of dates, nine units of vehicles and 21/40 containers of charcoal.

“Smuggling, in whatever guise or form, is an illegal activity that constitutes a crime against Customs extant laws,” he said.

He noted that smuggling compromises national security and robs the nation of its revenue and warned smugglers to repent from their nefarious activities.

He said the achievements recorded by the unit were possible with the enabling powers of sections: 158, sections 160 – 163 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), Cap C45 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 as amended.

Mr Ejibunu appealed to the trading community to be patriotic by making sincere declarations and paying the maximum duties/levies payable to the federal government.

(NAN)