The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, seized smuggled goods valued at about N6.9 million and arrested five suspects in March.

Acting controller of the zone, Kehinde Ejibunu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Ikeja when he spoke with reporters.

He said goods seized in March were 2,628 (50kg) bags of rice, 1,413 (25 litres) kegs of fuel, 58 kegs of vegetable oil, and 883 bales of used clothing.

Other items seized were eight used cars, 279 cartons of frozen poultry products, 105 parcels (50gms) of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, four used motorcycles and nine bags of used shoes.

Mr Ejibunu said the zone also collected N72.6 million as fees on the interception of containers, transfer of values, face value, wrong classification, and wrong declarations.

He noted that two members of a syndicate who specialised in forging Customs documents to smuggle vehicles from the Benin Republic into Nigeria were arrested.

Mr Ejibunu said the unit incepted a car where the suspects were travelling and found documents being prepared for smuggling about 6,000 vehicles into Nigeria.

Ten motorcycles carrying five 50kg bags of rice each were among the seized items exhibited before reporters at the briefing.

(NAN)