The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area Command, said it had intercepted contraband of sundry items worth about N61.55 million from suspected smugglers in Kebbi.
The Customs Area Comptroller in the state, Mr. Joseph Attah, gave this hint on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi while addressing journalists on the activities of the command in August 2022.
He explained that the seizure was made possible due to the zero tolerance of the command’s officers and men for trans-borders economic crimes by smuggles.
Attah further clarified: “The month of August was quite eventful and revealing as the command heightened its anti-smuggling offensive against smugglers.
“We engaged in strategic meetings with traditional, political and youth leaders with a view to gaining mutual understanding and compliance.
“While anti-smuggling operations resulted in seizures and arrests, stakeholders’ engagement resulted in some modest achievements in revenue generation”, he added.
The Area Commander said that the enforcement activities resulted in the seizure of 824 jerry cans of Petroleum Motor Spirit amounting to 20,600 liters and 75 bags of fertilizer.
He listed other items intercepted by the Service as including 22 bags of parboiled rice, 128 bales of second hand clothing, 22 jerry cans of vegetable oil, one used vehicle, 54 bags of sugar and eight local canoe engines.
Attah estimated that the seized items had a total duty paid value of N 61.55 million and that one suspect was arrested but later granted administrative bail.
On revenue generation, he reported that the command generated the sum of N38.2 million in the month under review following the re-opening of Kamba border and urged business owners in the community to take advantage of the re-opened border for trans-border transactions
While cautioning that passing or attempting to take goods through any other border in Kebbi apart from Kamba is illegal as the Federal Government policy on border closure remains in force, the Area Comptroller maintained that the command would redouble its efforts to facilitate legitimate trade and make smuggling unprofitable.
The Area Comptroller advised the people in the state to co-operate with the command in order to enable it serve them better in terms of protecting their economic interests and by so doing, returns on their investments.
