Customs at Western Marine strikes again .Destroys more frozen poultry products .Tough time awaits smugglers on waterways- Says Comptroller Binga

Customs at Western Marine strikes again

.Destroys more frozen poultry products

.Tough time awaits smugglers on waterways- Says Comptroller Binga

By Udeme Clement

The Western Marine Command, WMC, of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has destroyed 45 more cartons of poultry products smuggled into the country illegally.

The destruction, which took place today October 14, 2019, at the Command, in Lagos, was witnessed by Nigerian Police, officials of National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), DSS, Journalists and other security agencies.

This destruction is coming only few weeks after the same Command seized and destroyed 2,349 cartons of smuggled poultry products with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of over N23.7million.

Speaking at the site where the items were burnt, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command, Comptroller BN Binga disclosed that the 45 cartons of frozen poultry products were handed over to his Command by the Navy, along with 10 bags of foreign rice.

He commended the Navy for effective collaboration with Customs, stressing that his Command will continue to promote greater synergy with other agencies of government in its anti-smuggling drive.

Comptroller  Binga who is working assiduously to curb illicit trade on waterways and creeks, emphasized that tough time awaits smugglers operating on the waterfront, as his officers have been well trained and equipped to combat the menace.

He stressed,“Economic saboteurs on waterways will continue to incur losses, until they desist and allow sanity in our economic environment, because we will not hesitate to seize prohibited items smuggled into the country through the waterfront and creeks.

He pointed out, “In the last few weeks, the Command has destroyed smuggled poultry products worth millions of naira.  Today, we are destroying more 45 cartons of similar items. The DPV for the frozen poultry items here and 10 bags of rice is N676,625.000”.

“You all witnessed the recent commissioning of two gun-boats by the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC Ali Hameed. This is part of his efforts at empowering officers to tackle smuggling at sea.

“CGC Ali is committed to economic growth and we are working in line with his policy to support government’s effort in growing local industries”.