The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested 10 smugglers and impounded 31 exotic vehicles worth N1.4 billion.
It advised the owners of the vehicles to come forward with valid Customs clearance documents or forfeit the vehicles to the Federal Government.
The impounded vehicles include four Rolls Royce, a Porche Panamera, a Jaguar, a Bentley, two Lexus Jeep, two G Wagon, a Toyota Land Cruiser, five Toyota Corolla, seven Mercedes Benz, among others, mostly 2017 models.
DAILY POST had reported that Customs operatives raided the mansion of Sir Olu Okeowo in Ikoyi and seized his Rolls Royce cars.
Also seized were 6,444 bottles of Indian whisky falsely declared as yeast packed in 537 cartons and other contraband.
The 537 cartons of Indian whisky were valued at N33.89 million.
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says the intercepted contraband have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.70 billion in January.
Also, the unit recovered N91.3 million from underdeclaration of cargoes and other imports infringement.
The Controller of the unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, said yesterday that the 31 vehicles, valued at N1.4 billion, were illegally imported into the country through the land border in January.
Uba explained that some of the vehicles were evacuated in Lagos and Ogun states.
“These 31 assorted vehicles alone have a DPV of N1.429 billion.”
“While some of the vehicles were intercepted along Ijebu-Ode Expressway, others were evacuated at various raids in Parkview Estate, Victoria Island, Banana Island, Alhaji Bankole Crescent Ikeja and Tola Adewunmi St. Maryland,” Uba said.
The comptroller added that 8,400 bags of parboiled rice in 14 trucks were intercepted within the period.
Other seizures include 1,652 cartons of frozen poultry products, 835 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 10 sacks of Indian hemp, 2,208 pieces of used tyres, and 159 bales of used clothes among others.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Customs action is in line with the provisions of Sections 147 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004,” he said.
According to him, the law empowers Customs to search premises, and also Section 158 of CAMA, Cap 45 Laws of Federation of Nigeria empowers NCS to patrol freely.
The comptroller said that the seized Indian hemp would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigations in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration.
He said: “Two containers were seized. While one 20 feet container, marked GATU 132358/4, was seized for carrying cartons of Indian whisky as against yeast falsely declared in the Single Goods Declaration (SGD), one 40 feet container marked TCLU172184/3 was seized for carrying 60 pieces of used chest freezers and 570 bundles of gas hose as against condenser for steam polysonic. This is a case of false declaration, which is tantamount to seizure.”
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