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Customs Intercepts Military Gear, Drugs, and Turtles Worth ₦3.32bn

Kehinde Fajobi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed Airport Command, has seized contraband goods valued at over ₦3.32 billion between July and October 2024, including 250 live turtles, military equipment, and Canadian Cannabis Sativa.

The Area Controller, Michael Awe, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the command’s performance over the last three months.

According to Awe, the intercepted items included 23 walkie-talkies, 175 military helmets, 50 drones, seven packages of Tramadol Hydrochloride (200mg and 225mg), 1.5kg of pangolin scales, and 0.2kg of porcupine quills.

The items were imported from countries such as Canada and Turkey.

“These efforts to combat illicit trade yielded impressive results, with the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of seized items amounting to ₦3.32 billion between July and October 2024,”

Awe stated. He noted that the seized goods violated provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

In terms of revenue generation, Awe announced a significant increase, reporting ₦144.2 billion in Customs duties and other charges from January to October 2024.

This marks a 94% rise compared to the ₦74.28 billion recorded during the same period in 2023.

“The revenue collected shows a progressive difference of ₦69.9 billion, depicting a 94% increase,” Awe remarked.

He attributed this achievement to enhanced trade facilitation, improved stakeholder compliance, strategic resource deployment, interagency collaboration, and intelligent risk management strategies.

Looking ahead, Awe pledged to bolster anti-smuggling efforts, strengthen trade facilitation, enhance stakeholder engagement, and leverage technology to optimise operations.

He expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his support, and commended officers and men of the command for their dedication.

Awe also acknowledged the cooperation of stakeholders, including importers, exporters, and clearing agents, for complying with Customs regulations.

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