By Chinonye Anyatonwu
The Comptroller General of Customs Strike Force Team, Zone A, Lagos has announced the seizure of a truck load of Cannabis with a duty paid value of of five hundred and sixteen million, six hundred thousand naira (N516,600,000).
The Team also seized various goods with a total duty paid value of nine billion, one hundred and twenty-two million, seven hundred and ten thousand, three hundred and fifty- naira (N9, 122,710,355) in 2022.
Addressing the press on Wednesday, the Team Leader, Compt. Sani Yusuf, said that the seizures include 225mg of Tramadol, 100mg of Sildenafil Citrate, Codeine Cough syrup, used tyres and bales of secondhand clothing.
Others are bags of foreign parboiled rice, containers of timber, Pangolin scales, slabs of donkey skin and Cannabis Sativa, among others.
Aside seizures, Compt. Yusuf, disclosed that the team generated five billion, eight hundred and forty-three million, five hundred and twenty thousand, four hundred and seventy-seven naira (N5,843,520,477) through demand notices from January to December, last year.
The controller hinted that the 2022 revenue witnessed an increase of 55 per cent or N1, 928,966,233 when compared with what was generated in 2021.
He stated that the single seizure of a truckload of Cannabis was made to discourage the business of smuggling because it is capable of destroying the national economy as well as affect living standard of Nigerians.
The controller averred that the illicit business mainly favour favours only a selfish few who do not mean well for the country.
Compt. Yusuf sounded a note of warning to all unpatriotic importers and their agents who go the extra mile in daring his team.
“We shall not only make seizures, but our ever-vigilant operatives will also get them arrested to face the full wrath of the law”, he reassuringly.
According to him, year 2022 witnessed a robust anti-smuggling drive, marked by tremendous success as highlighted above.
The controller stressed that for this year, his team has already reinvigorated its round-the-clock operations, relying on its gallant and intelligent officers to suppress snuggling and prevent revenue loss, because of the team’s commitment to doing better in 2023 and beyond has been renewed with fervour.
While thanking God for the modest achievement last year, he expressed gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) CFR, for assisting the team to achieve its goals through his logistics support.
He also showed appreciation to his officers who have been working tirelessly to ensure that the Team’s mandate is achieved.
