Border Closure: Customs Seize Imported Rice, Other Items In Niger

Customs Announce Determination In Curbing Smuggling Activities

The Niger and Kogi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS) has announced the seizures of imported rice, vehicles and second-hand bale clothing.

The service which put the duty paid value of the items at about N145 million, said they were seized in the third quarter of 2019.

Yusuf Abba- Kassim, the Comptroller in charge of the command, made the disclosure while displaying the seized items before newsmen in Minna on Thursday.

He said a total of 3,529 kilogrammes of imported bags of rice with duty paid value of over N62 million were seized by officers and men in different parts of the area command .

Similarly, 29 used vehicles with duty paid value of over N32 million were also seized under the command’s new anti-smuggling strategies which he said had been yielding positive results.

He added that 1,018 bales of second-hand clothing with duty paid value of over N48 million were seized within the command’s area of coverage.

The comptroller said the command had also arrested one DAF diesel tanker with registration number RBC 05 ZS suspected to be concealing 500 bags of foreign rice on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

Abba-Kassim cautioned smugglers against their illegal activities which he described as economic sabotage, warning them to desist from such act.

He further restated the commitment of the customs service to fighting all forms of smuggling activities.