Chinese workers  smuggle  N3.04m bottled water into Nigeria — intercepted by Seme Customs.

Abiola Seun

The Seme border command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 7524 bottles   of table water smuggled into the country from Benin Republic into Nigeria.

The table water which according to the command is  prohibited from coming into Nigeria, was allegedly smuggled for Chinese workers in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen yesterday, the Controller  of the Command, Compt. Mohammed Uba said the contrabands were intercepted at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joint border post.
He further disclosed that aside the table waters, ginger drinks, 1708 bags of rice and 864 jerry cans of sulphuric acid were seized in the month under review.
According to him, the smuggled water has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.04 million and was imported from China through Benin Republic to Nigeria.

The CAC stressed further, “The efforts of the enforcement unit of the Command with regards to suppression of smuggling has been unprecedented with the arrest of nine vehicles conveying 83 cartons of Amira/Makoko soap DPV N1.8 million; 1,718 50 bags of Foreign parboiled rice; 26 bales of used clothes and 14 cartons of Nitro feminine soap .

” Others are l, “13 bags of expired rice; eight sacks of used shoes; 65 pieces of textile DPV; 11 cartons of insecticide; 864 jerry cans of Sulphuric acid and 2 sacks of rubber slippers.”

He explained further that one of the vehicle used for conveying the contraband goods was a Toyota Hilux van (masked in an official regalia), intercepted conveying 16 bags of rice at Gbaji axis.
He affirmed that with the continuous seizures, the right signal is sent to discourage other people from indulging in the unfortunate act of smuggling. He promised that the momentum of total compliance to all extant laws will be sustained to ensure optimal revenue collection, trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling to the barest minimum.
Also speaking, the coordinator, Seme Border National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), Dr Nurudeen Usman said the agency ban importation or exportation of water.

Usman who was curious that with the abundant bottled water factories in Nigeria someone could import table water into Nigeria.
He said, ” It is curious but the explanation of the clearing agent is that the importer want to supply the products to Chinese workers in Nigeria. We can’t call it water now until it is taken to our laboratory to undergo series of text.”

“I don’t know the intent behind the water but they are criminals because it was concealed with attachment which is dutiable,” he said.