Apapa Customs seizes 13 containers of tramadol, rice worth N285m 

The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 13 containers of tramadol, unregistered medicaments and foreign parboiled rice worth N285million in the month of November 2021.

This brings to total 97 containers seized by the command between January and November 2021 with a Duty Paid Value of N17.5billion.

Controller of the command, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta, while conducting journalists round the seizures at Apapa port and ESS Libra terminal at Ikorodu on Tuesday said apart from items which are prohibited from coming into the country most of the goods were impounded for false declaration and concealment adding that 7 suspects had so far been arrested in connection with the seizures.

The Customs boss said two of the containers loaded with basmatic rice at the ESS Libra terminal, which came in from China were falsely declared as agricultural sprayer while another two containers seized at Apapa port were imported unbranded with the intent of re-bagging them as locally produced rice.

Other notable items seized within the review period according to the Customs boss include 46.55kg of cocaine concealed on vessels MV KARTERIA and CHAYANEE with a street value of 13.2billion, hard substance such as Captagon pills, cocaine, codeine syrup, tomato paste and used clothing.

“These were seizures made based on clear contravention of sections 46, 47and 161 of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 LFN 2004,” he said.

Comptroller Malanta maintained that the command will not compromise proper examination on the alter of trade facilitation and will not relent on sharing intelligent to alert the system on false declaration even after examination or release of falsely declared cargo.

He said the era of importers engaging in false declaration and concealment hoping to escape customs clearance was over as concealments will always be detected through the use of forensic manifest management system deployed by the command. and synergy with other sister agencies in the port.

“There is no hiding place for a defaulter. No matter the way you try to make concealment, because of synergy within ourselves and intelligent sharing among sister organizations and forensic manifest management system we are going to unveil all these kinds of concealments,” he said.

“Gradually, we are making Apapa a no- go area for all illegal trade perpetrators and by God’s grace, we are going to make Apapa a safe and free haven for only legitimate and complaint trade.”

While expressing appreciation to compliant traders for keeping to the rules of engagement on import and export procedures, Comptroller Malanta urged the trading public to make sincere declarations, pay accurate duty and get required permits to avoid losing their investments and facing prosecution.

On revenue generation, he said the command collected a record-breaking revenue figure of N89.7billion- the highest monthly collection by any command of the Service adding that the command’s revenue profile for January to November stood at N784.8billion.

He attributed the feat to improved inter-agency synergies, enhanced trade facilitation, speedy dispute resolution and prevention of revenue leakages.

Comptroller Malanta said the command remains resolute on contributing to the actualization of the Comptroller General of Customs agenda in the area of increase in revenue collection and non-compromise for smuggling.