The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Border Area Command, has intercepted 500 packs of Indian hemp hidden under a corpse in a coffin.
Mohammed Uba, Customs Area Controller, Seme Border Command, who disclosed this to newsmen while conducting them round the seizures, stated that the corpse, which was in a coffin, was placed on top of the Indian hemp packs being brought into the country, but was quickly noticed by vigilant customs officers on duty.
On revenue generation, he said the Command from March till date, collected the total sum of N2,627,140,120.21.
Uba further disclosed that the command intercepted various contraband, including 8, 304 bags of 50kg foreign par boiled rice; 31 (25 litres) jerry cans of vegetable oil; 35 (50kg) bags of sugar; 138 (25 litres) of PMS; 71 cartons of expired food seasoning; 336 cartons of alcoholic drinks.
Others include 175 (6 ) yards of textile; 15 sacks of used clothes, 28 cartons of medicament.; 410 sacks of school bags; 2,000 cartons of expired biscuits and a truck loaded with 493 packs of baby diapers.
According to him,13 vehicles, which were also seized, included Toyota Highlander, Range Rover, Toyota Rav 4, Toyota Venza, etc.
The Comptroller stated that six suspects were arrested during the period under review and reiterated the Command’s determination to detect, arrest and prosecute those who fail to comply with the extant regulations.
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He called on Nigerians to support the Command by reporting any smuggling activity or any relevant information that would assist it in discharging its statutory duties.
Uba, however, pointed out that Col Hammed Ali (rtd), Comptroller-General of Customs, had directed that 25,000 bags of foreign rice, 650 bags of sugar, 150 cartons of tin tomatoes, 150 bags of flour and 250 kegs of vegetable oil should be transfered to the Nigeria Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NACST) between April and May for onward delivery to Yobe State government, Damaturu for onward deliverty to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps there.
He said the Command would leverage on modern communication tools to improve cross border efficiency along the corridor in facilitating border crossing for the promotion of regional integration towards simplification, standardisation, and harmonisation of border crossing procedures, thus realising the core mandate of the service.
He commended Col Ali (rtd) and his management team for the continuous support and encouragement, adding that the achievements so far recorded by the Seme Border Command were the result of the support of other sister security agencies, both locally and internationally.
