FOU hits hard on smugglers

FOU hits hard on smugglers

By Joe Njoku

This must be a depressing period indeed for economic saboteurs, as the Federal Operation Unit, FOU, Zone A, Lagos,  intercepted various contrabands, with a Duty Paid Value ,DPV, of N1,5billion.

A breakdown of the seized items include, 64 assorted vehicle (most brand new), 13,333 bags of foreign rice (about 22 trailers load) 1,390 cartons of poultry products, 835 Jerrycans of vegetable oil, 15 parcels of Indian Hemp, 1,101 pieces of used tyres and 205 bales of used clothings.

Also intercepted were 17, 20ft containers with DPV of N85, 000,000, 1,40ft containers No. FCIU 805992/0 carrying 385 cartons of Tiffany cream biscuits, 2,300 cartons of Tiffany chocolate cream fudge and Toffee sweet and 137 cartons of block engine cylinder, all value at N12, 440,000.

Statistics of the seized vehicles are 2 Lexus Jeep (Bullet Proof) 1 Toyota Land cruiser (Bullet Proof), 9 Toyota 8 Toyota Hiace Bus, 26 Toyota Hilux, 9 Land cruiser Jeep , 5 Toyota Camry, 1 Land Rover Jeep, 1 Nissan Sentra, 1 Pajero Jeep, all 2017 models and 1 Sienna 2015 model and 1 Lexus RX 350 among others.

According to the press statement, the 64 assorted vehicles have a duty paid value (DPV) of N1, 302,927,106.16.

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, said the tiems were seized based on intelligence report. 57 of the vehicles were evacuated at Omole Estate, Ojoduand Olayiwoleclose, Lekki Phase 1,  while the remaining seven vehicles were intercepted while on information patrol along ijebu-ode express-way and Olorunda.

Uba explained that uptill now, that nobody has come forward to make claim of ownership. “We doubt if they have Customs papers, not to talk of the end-users certificate for the bullet proof. Our legal unit has already been mandated to investigate it, after which, the public will be made to know the out come”.

Mohammed also said that the Unit recovered a total of N108, 306,018.25 making a cumulative of N1, 703,447,163.06 within the period under review.

In the spirit of inter-agency collaboration, Uba said that the seized Indian Hemp had been handed over to NDLEA for further investigation.

Meanwhile the five suspects arrested in connection with the 185 seizures are currently being investigated.

He therefore expressed his gratitude to the Comptroller General, Hameed Ibrahim Ali and the entire Management Team for providing his unit with the necessary logistics that has brought about the major seizures.