Customs impound military wares in Rivers

A 40-feet container loaded with military wares has been intercepted and seized by the Area II Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in Onne, Rivers State,

The Customs Area Controller, Mr Aliyu Saidu, who disclosed this shortly after displaying the military wares to newsmen in Onne on Thursday, said the items were among 10 contraband consignments confiscated by the security outfit.

He said the items were concealed inside the giant container with sacks of used shoes and clothes.

Saidu explained that apart from the 600 pairs of military camouflage uniforms found in the container, other items were 600 pairs of military caps and jungle boots.

He stated that investigation was still ongoing regarding all the seizures of military wares made in the past one year by the command, adding that the Controller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, wanted to see an end to such illegal importation of military wares.

Saidu said, “A 40-ft container comprising 600 pairs of military camouflage uniforms, 600 military caps, and 600 pairs of military jungle boots, all totally prohibited, were among the items seized by the command in Onne.

“Found in the same 40-ft container are 80 rolls of water hose, 10 cartons of singlet, 50 cartons of shoes, 207 cartons of tiles, 15 bales of socks, five sacks of ladies’ skirts and other items with Duty Paid Value of N4,682,021,”.

He listed some other confiscated items as 55 containers of bags of foreign rice with total Duty Paid Value of N364, 746,762.00.

He added, “The breakdown of other seized items are 1,070 jerry cans of vegetable cooking oil, with DPV of N8,501,322.00; six 20ft containers with a total of 13,560 cartons of tin tomatoes, with DPV of N70,502,283.00; and a 40ft container of 290 bales of second hand clothing and 20 sacks of used shoes, with DPV of N12,936,839.00.

“Also seized are two 20ft containers comprising 2,140 jerry cans of cooking oil with DPV of N17, 002, 645.00; a container load of 575 machetes with DPV of N21, 201,500.00 imported with fake End Use Certificate.

“Other items are a container load of 1,070 jerry cans of cooking oil with DPV of N8, 501,322.00; and a 40ft container loaded with one Golf Volkswagen car, one used car engine, 15 used car bonnets all used to conceal used tyres with DPV of N29, 763,797.00.”

Saidu put the total DPV of the confiscated items since August at N543, 958,740, adding that the suspects arrested in connection with the seizures had been transferred to the NCS headquarters in Abuja for further investigation.

He warned that the command, under his watch, would continue to deal decisively with economic saboteurs, their agents and collaborators, and also work for the security of the country.