Timber smuggling, Customs at Lilypond Command on red alert !!! …seizes 11 containers of timber worth $295,944.00 in Apapa port

Timber smuggling :  Customs at Lilypond Command on red alert !!!
…Seizes 11 containers of timber worth $295,944.00 in Apapa port
…As Comptroller Odusanya warns exporters on violating the law

The Lilypond Export Command of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has raised a red flag on illegal activities of timber smugglers in the country.

The Command, through swift intervention and doggedness by its operatives, intercepted 11 containers laden with unprocessed wood, in Apapa port.

Unveiling the seizures before Journalists at APMOLLER Terminal in Apapa, the Customs Area Controller of Lilypond Command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, disclosed that the items are valued at $295,944.00.

Showcasing the 11 containers of timber in the presence of Journalists, Comptroller Odusanya talked tough, even as he declared that the large quantities of the timber had been converted to seizures, in order to serve as deterrent to those involved in illegal exportation of restricted items.

Our News Inquest revealed that those culpable in smuggling these containers of timber were about to export the items outside the shores of Nigeria when Comptroller Odusanya and his enforcement team thwarted their plans using credible intelligence to defeat them.

The Area Controller said emphatically that seizing the items was imperative to deter exporters from violating the law in the course of doing their business.

He informed :  “Acting on credible intelligence, a combined team of the Lilypond Export Command officers and operatives of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) following discharge of some export bound containers at the barge area of Apapa Port, on October 11, 2024, intercepted and detained these containers suspected to being used for smuggling. A total of eleven units of 20FT containers fully laden with Timber were seized.”

His words : ‘As you all know, this Command is dedicated to overseeing export trade and has brought a lot of improvements in support of the Federal Government drive to promote nonoil export.

“It is important, I reiterate that we have a resolve not to sacrifice compliance on the altar of trade facilitation, as we shall always prevent the export of any consignment that runs in conflict with the laws of our country. It is in the light of this that the Command notifies the general public of its latest fight against smuggling and defiance to extant Customs laws and regulations.”

Comptroller Odusanya informed : “The containers during100 percent physical examination were found to contain raw and unprocessed timber, which contravenes Schedule 6 of the Common External Tariff (CET). Details of the eleven containers are TRLU9354677, MRKU9991028, TCLU2179830, MSKU5051480, MRKU7071648, MSKU5894593, TCLU2179830, MSKU5051480, MRKU7071648, MSKU5894593, TCLU2543324, MSKU3929849, MSKU7323470, MSKU5953248, and GAOU2550990.

“Going by the provisions of Sections 148,149 and 150 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the detained containers are hereby being converted to seizures. While we are yet to apprehend the culprits behind this criminal act, we expect these seizures to serve as deterrent to any person or export trader planning to perpetuate similar offence.”

“I assure you that the long arms of the law would catch up with anyone that dares our resolve. This further underscores the CGC’s zero tolerance for smuggling, even in the area of export. It goes further to confirm our alertness with the support of other units within the Service and sister government agencies to detect and prevent criminal activities in the area of export.

“I want to use this opportunity to, once again, urge our Small, Medium and Large-scale exporters to take advantage of our easy processes and window of opportunities provided by the Federal Government to encourage export trade. We shall continue to engage our partners and stakeholders as mandated by the CGC following the theme of the World Customs Organisation for 2024, and that of the recently held 2024 Comptroller General of Customs Conference, engaging traditional and new partners with Purpose”.

Thus, with these large quantities of unprocessed wood being seized in a single operation by Lilypond Command, economic saboteurs behind this illicit export would be counting their losses.