The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its generated N790.6 billion revenue from January to September 2022.
Controller of the Command, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday said the command’s revenue increased significantly by N181.5billion when compared with N609billion collected in the corresponding months of 2021, representing N29.8 percent increment.
The feat, he said was made possible because of the tireless commitment of officers to ensure that all revenue leakages are mitigated as well as sustaining the level of compliance by importers and stakeholders in the clearance value chain.
On anti smuggling, Comptroller Malanta said the command recorded 145 seizures of various goods worth N12.5billion during the review period.
He said the command had fortified its forensic manifest management to monitor and detect fraudulent transaction through audit trail to ensure that illicit trade are tracked before the declarations are lodged.
He said, “Anti-smuggling activities has been one of the command’s focal points, especially with the activities of some unrepentant traders who are always looking for avenues to undermine our system.
“Furthermore, the enforcement unit has been reinforced through improved collaboration and sharing of credible intelligence with relevant government agencies to suppress smuggling activities to its barest minimum.”
Giving a breakdown of the seizures, the Customs boss said they include unregistered medicaments such as tramadol and codeine, processed, unprocessed wood, used clothing, ladies, men’s footwear, foreign parboiled rice, tomato paste, vegetable oil and other sundry items that falls under import, export prohibition list.
He explained that the importations were in clear breach of section 46 and 47 of the Customs and Excise Management Act CEMA CAP C45 LFN 2004.
“Let me reemphasise that Apapa Command is continuously ready to assist in facilitating legitimate trade.
“The command will ensure that all forms of smuggling activities through false declaration on import/export done in defiance to extant trade guidelines will be detected through our layers of control through false declaration on import/export done in defiance to extant trade guidelines will be detected through our layers of control mechanism,” he said.
On export, Malanta said the command processed 160 million tonnes of export cargo worth about N181billion within the review period.
He urged stakeholders to collaborate with the command to ensure that items that are on the import and export prohibition list are strictly adhered, and embrace the emerging realities of customs examination through non-intrusive inspection (NII) regime.
“The non-intrusive inspection regime is geared towards increasing volume of cargo inspection, protection of national security, saving cost/clearing time, storing reliable data and images for reference purposes, and reducing human contact in the examination of containerized cargo,” he said.
