The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has sealed-off a warehouse filled with foreign parboiled rice allegedly smuggled into the country and two auto dealers, assemblers in Lagos for infractions on their import transactions.
The Customs in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Jerry Attah, yesterday said the sealed warehouse comprised of 23,000 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice.
He however declined to name the warehouse and address of the auto dealers ,assemblers.
His words, “23,000 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice with a duty paid value of N149,500,000.00 were still under seal in an unnamed warehouse in Lagos awaiting relevant importation document for further necessary action.”
Dwelling on the auto dealers, assembly plant also under seal, he said Demand Notices had been placed on the two other dealers.
“A demand notice of over N100million has been issued to two auto dealers, assemblers under customs seal awaiting payment for infractions on their import transactions.”
Meanwhile, the unit PRO said the command has placed a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N317million on the 661 pump-action rifles seized by the unit last month.
It would be recall that officers of FOU A intercepted the contraband which was imported from China but routed through Turkey en-route Nigeria containing 49 boxes with a total number of 661 pieces of pump action Rifles.
It was gathered that three persons have been arrested in connection to the contraband which was disguised as steel doors.
The Rifles are under absolute prohibition which makes its importation illegal.
The statement further affirmed that, ‘Also valued are, 19,171 bags of 50KG of foreign parboiled rice, four sacks of 10KG and 1 bag of 25KG with a DPV of N125million; 5381 cartons of frozen poultry products at a value of N29million; 325 Jerrycans and 165 cartons of Vegetable oil with DPV of N3.1million.
“Others are six containers of 121 logs of timbers at N38million; four units of smuggled vehicles with DPV of N7.4million; 2157 new and 660 used retreaded and used pneumatic tyres and 929 cartons of pharmaceutical /medicament valued at N16million.